American Horticultural Society Pruning & Training (American Horticultural Society Practical Guides) (Hardcover)

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Key Phrases: little further pruning, tendriled climber, little formative pruning, Dictionary of Ornamental Trees, Dictionary of Climbing Plants, Dictionary of Ornamental Shrubs (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Although primarily a reference text, Pruning & Training is also a stroll through an arboretum, intertwining beautiful and descriptive photographs with explanatory text. If you've ever wondered how a tree, shrub, or vine was trained or formed, this book will explain every how-to for every plant that stirs your experimental side. If you're saddled with an overgrown orchard, poorly maintained landscaping, or heavy frost damage to trees and shrubs, you can renovate them through pruning. Solid background material is provided, including growing habits (and how to take advantage of them), advice on pruning tools, and basic and specialized pruning techniques.

The reference is organized by ornamental trees, fruiting trees, ornamental shrubs, soft fruits, climbing plants, and roses. Each section discusses specialized methods for the subject plant type and includes a plant-by-plant dictionary. With the American Horticultural Society's stamp of approval, you can be sure that Pruning & Training does not neglect pollarding, coppicing, and pleaching. Step by step photographic sequences and before and after shots provide invaluable visual clues. Drawings showing pruning locations frequently feature a silhouette that illustrates the end result of the pruning method. If you'd like to try your hand at espalier or topiary, many training methods are also addressed at length. This is no guide for the casual pruner, but if you want a reference to answer any question you will ever have about the subject, you've found your book. --Molly McElroy

From Library Journal

DK's exceptional manual uses clear text and wonderful photos to instruct readers on the pruning and training of ornamental trees, fruit trees, shrubs, soft fruits, climbing plants, and roses. Each section has basic information on techniques as well as plant profiles. (LJ 9/1/96)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT (August 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564583317
• ISBN-13: 978-1564583314
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #24,536 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Pruning Resource, March 1, 2000

By	Cary Fuller (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This is only book on pruning that will meet your every need as a beginning or seasoned gardener. It is a complete encyclopedia of information with many color photographs and wonderfully detailed, clear, color illustrations of techniques you may need for any pruning challenge.

Brickell and Joyce in, "Pruning and Training", have the most complete answers to questions on how to prune almost any plant you may have, or want to have in your garden.

It covers all the basics. Then Brickell and Joyce include very detailed information for pruning Ornamental Trees, Tree Fruits, Ornamental Shrubs, Soft Fruits, Climbing Plants and Roses. Each chapter contains general information for the whole rangeof plants they've assigned to that category. Detailed instructions then follow for each specific plant included in each chapter category. Details include the growing areas (3-7,etc), descripttion of each plant and flower, and, how and when each should be pruned or trained. Training and pruning instructions for popular hybrids of many plants are also included.

It has become and will continue to be my pruning bible, replacing my four other books I have collected on the subject.

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific guide, January 31, 1999

By A Customer

For many years Mr. Brickell's "Pruning" (96 pages) was my bible. It recently occurred to me that this 20 year old book might be updated and I came to Amazon to find that it had. The new book is much more specific as to individual trees and shrubs and the horticultural information is up to date and beautifully detailed. The book also very attractive. Since woody plants are my passion, I have to say that I love this book.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you'll ever need to know about pruning., December 30, 1998

By A Customer

Expands what most books cover in a chapter, at best, to over 300 pages with thousands of color photos and ilustrations. Sections are devoted to ornamental trees, fruit trees, shrubs, soft fruits, climbing plants, and roses. Each section gives specific techniques for pruning different varieties of plants with plant-by-plant instructions. Equal coverage for training plants into ornamental forms is detailed for most plants. I originally borrowed this book from the library and, within 1/2 hour after opening it, decided that this was one book that I had to buy for myself.