Caught myself explaining leaf node placement to a neighbor for way too long...

I was helping a friend plant a Japanese maple last weekend in their backyard near Austin. They kept wanting to prune off every branch that looked even slightly out of place. I had to stop them and explain that leaf nodes are not just random bumps on the stem. They actually determine where the new growth will come from next spring. If you cut too close to a node or hack off the wrong one, you can mess up the whole shape of the tree for years. I only know this because I learned it the hard way on a magnolia I butchered back in 2019. It still looks lopsided. Has anyone else had to talk someone out of over-pruning based on node placement?

3 comments

3 Comments

kai_ramirez3821h agoProlific Poster

Show them how to count nodes first. Worked with my dad.

nora_webb5111h agoMost Upvoted

Did anyone else's dad make them count nodes with their eyes closed? Like blindfolded almost. He'd hold my hand and guide my fingers along the stem so I could feel where the buds were without looking. Took forever but it stuck with me. Now I can prune almost anything in the dark if I had to, which sounds ridiculous but actually helps in tight spots. There's something about using touch instead of sight that makes the whole node thing click better for kids.

blair99021h ago

Oh man, my buddy Mike did the same thing to his crepe myrtle a couple summers ago. He got out there with the pruners and just started snip-snip-snipping every little twig that crossed another one without even looking at where the buds were sitting. The next spring it sent out all these weird leggy shoots in random directions instead of filling out nicely. Looked like a drunk octopus for a whole season before it finally balanced back out. He still brings it up every time we grill in his backyard and I just nod and take another sip of beer.