With its richly branched, spherical crown, the spherical acacia lives up to its name. To ensure that it stays that way, annual pruning makes a decisive contribution. Read this guide to find out when and how to perfectly trim the picturesque house tree.
How do I cut a ball acacia correctly?
To prune a ball acacia, choose February as the ideal time. Every three years you should thin out the spherical crown by removing dead, broken, weak and annoying shoots. If necessary, you can also do a topiary to shape the crown. Make sure to remove wild shoots on the trunk or from the root disk.
Best time is in February
Without its magnificent foliage, a ball acacia leaves a clear view of its crown branches. Pruning measures shortly before new growth begins, when severe frosts are no longer to be feared, achieve an optimal effect. By choosing this date, you are also in compliance with the Federal Nature Conservation Act, which determines the start of the grace period from March 1st to protect our threatened flock of birds.
Tighten the ball crown every 3 years
Its spherical crown forms a ball acacia because the breeder's hand overrides the growth law of top promotion. Instead of concentrating growth on dominant buds, all crown shoots grow evenly and form a ball. Interventions with scissors and saws are limited to occasional thinning for a light, airy and therefore densely leafed crown. How to do it right:
- Take protective measures against the toxins in the bark
- Saw off dead shoots on astring
- Short broken, weak and annoying branches by up to two thirds
- Place the scissor blades just above an outward-facing leaf node
On older ball acacias, the thinning cut sometimes leaves larger cuts of more than 2 centimeters in diameter. Smooth the exposed wood surface with a knife. Then coat the edges of the wound thinly with tree wax (€11.00 at Amazon) to protect the valuable cambium from late night frosts.
Cut the ball crown into shape – this is how it works
Breaking winds and lack of space require a topiary that goes beyond clearing. Thanks to its high cutting tolerance, the ball acacia cooperates with any cut as long as the grafting area remains untouched. How to cut back the ball crown:
- Put on gloves to protect against the poisonous bark
- Short excessively long crown branches by up to two thirds
- Place the cutting tool a short distance from a leaf node or sleeping eye
Can't you see a leaf node as a starting point for the cut? Then first cut the branch in question back to the desired length. Over the course of the coming season, a sap congestion causes previously invisible sleeping eyes to sprout. If a long stub forms over the shoot, saw the old wood down to half a centimeter because it poses the risk of rot and disease.
Tip
The well-formed crown of a ball acacia sits enthroned on the trunk of a robust wild species. With the sprouting of cheeky stem shoots, the growth power of the wild rootstock becomes noticeable. Cut off a wild shoot at the base as soon as you discover it below the thickened grafting area. If the unloved shoot sprouts directly from the root disc, tear off the young wood with a strong tug.
