Do you regularly come across the technical term “internodium” in cutting instructions for ornamental and fruit trees? Don't puzzle over its deeper meaning any longer. Read all the background information here with tips for practical use in pruning care.
What is an internode and what does it mean?
An internode is the space between two buds or eyes on a shoot axis, usually bare and without leaves. The length of the internodes can allow conclusions to be drawn about the importance of a shoot for flower abundance and fruit yield: short internodes indicate high yield potential.
What does internode mean? – understandable explanation
In the German translation of Internodium it is a combination of Inter=between and Nodium=node. Botanists and gardeners refer to the individual buds on the annual shoot as nodes. Specifically, internode means:
- The distance between two buds or eyes on a shoot axis
- Special feature of an internode: bare, without leaves
As a rule, the technical term is used in the plural: internodes. By definition, there is nothing against using the term internode if the shoot sections in question are hairy between the buds.
Interpreting internodes correctly – this is how it works
The length of internodes allows exciting conclusions to be drawn about the importance of a shoot for flower abundance and fruit yield. The most valuable flowering wood on ornamental trees is usually the side shoots with the shortest internodes. The early-flowering forsythia provides a shining example. When you cut the ornamental shrub, the two-year-old long shoots and the one-year-old short shoots are spared from the scissors, because this is where the most magnificent flower display unfolds.
The same applies when pruning fruit trees. Whether apple, pear, plum or cherry - pome and stone fruit give you the greatest harvest yield with short shoots on which the buds gather side by side. Follow the rule of thumb that cutting short shoots with short internodes is taboo.
If you are plagued by doubts in the future when pruning flowering bushes or fruit trees as to whether a branch should be cut or not, keep an eye out for the internodes. In the majority of cases, shoots with short distances between buds are not cut off.
If the internodes on short shoots are a few millimeters or centimeters, the maximum fruit yield can be expected.
Tip
Internodes make the difference between rhizomes and roots. A rhizome is an underground shoot axis that has short, thickened internodes. Typical examples are ginger, lily of the valley and wood anemone. The actual roots of a rhizome grow vertically downwards to transport water and nutrients. There are no buds on the roots themselves and therefore no internodes.
