The Pruning of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers, 2nd edition. George E. Brown and Tony Kirkham. 338p. Portland, OR: Timber Press, 2004. 0-88192-613-2; 2003-53707. $29.95.
The Pruning of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers, 2nd edition. George E. Brown and Tony Kirkham. 338p. Portland, OR: Timber Press, 2004. 0-88192-613-2; 2003-53707. $29.95.
Since its first appearance more than 30 years ago, George Brown's manual on tree and shrub maintenance has served as a bible to the home gardener and professional arborist alike. Brown encapsulated more than three decades of experience at Kew Gardens in his terse descriptions of pruning cuts, maintenance issues and disease control. With similar responsibilities and more than 25 years at Kew, Tony Kirkham is a natural choice to revise Brown's work. He ably updates the general principles of pruning and the discussions of general techniques for trees, shrubs and climbers emphasizing current ideas like target pruning and the restricted use of tree paints for healing cuts. Kirkham also maintains the heart of Brown's work: an A-Z guide to the specific pruning needs of 450 genera. For those wondering what to do with an overgrown azalea, camellia or oak, this is the guide. Look here as well for what to do about dieback, snow and lightning damage, or suggestions for supporting climbers. The plant nomenclature is updated, and sections on diseases and tools are expanded. Otherwise, 53 well-selected color plates are the chief addition to this handy garden reference. Kirkham's revisions will help keep this work popular.