The cultivated form of the ball tree is a classic in parks and also in private front gardens. The hawthorn is ideal for this for several reasons. Below we will explain to you why and how you can train him to be a spherical standard bearer.
How do you grow a hawthorn as a ball tree?
To grow a hawthorn as a ball tree, cut off the lower side shoots in the first few years to create a graceful small tree. Cut the crown round every spring by shortening the central shoot by 1/3 and using 3-4 leading shoots as a framework to which you adapt the remaining branches.
Why ball tree?
There are good reasons why the ball tree has become so established in park and garden culture. Small to medium-sized shrubs or trees can be kept to a manageable size and still exude a homely tree character. They still look extremely well maintained. Especially where there is little space - for example on the side of the road or in the front garden - a ball tree can really show its advantages.
What makes hawthorn the ideal ball tree candidate
The requirements that a tree must meet for a ball tree culture are as follows:
- Habitus of the large shrub to small tree category
- Moderate height growth
- Good cutting tolerance
The hawthorn fulfills all of these conditions perfectly. It is extremely tolerant of cutting and can be easily trained into a standard tree and a spherical crown thanks to its change-tolerant growth character.
If you let it grow naturally, it develops a rather sparse, sprawling shrub habit. By regularly trimming the lower side shoots in the first few years, it will readily grow into a delicate small tree.
Cut the crown spherically
It doesn't really take a lot of expertise to create a spherical crown. As long as you have a good eye for even curves, you can shape the branches of the crown by eye. The densely branched branches ensure a dense ball character, while the regular, tapering pruning prevents unsightly thinning.
You carry out the topiary every year in early spring or on a frost-free late winter day. To do this, always shorten the central shoot by around 1/3. Select 3-4 leading shoots in the wide crown branches as early as possible, which form the framework of the ball, so to speak. You can always use these as a guide when shortening. Once the leading shoots have been shortened to the desired length, you can adapt the remaining, smaller branches to them.
Tip
Ground cover planting is particularly attractive under a ball tree. For example, forget-me-nots fit very nicely under the delicate trunk of a spherical hawthorn because in May, with their light blue carpet of flowers, they harmonize wonderfully with the carmine-red flowering spherical crown.
