When should you prune a globe catalpa? (And how?)

Ball-shaped catalpas (Catalpa bignonioides ‘nana’) are charming trees that are also suitable for smaller gardens.

It's best to prune catalpa trees once a year or every two years to keep them from getting too big.

When should you prune a globe catalpa?

Since the pruning wounds on globe catalpas are sensitive to frost, it’s best not to prune them too early.

March is a good time to prune these ball-shaped trees.

The ideal time is when the risk of (severe) frost has subsided, but before the new leaves begin to emerge. The advantage here is that bulbous catalpas usually start to sprout a little later.

A globe catalpa should not be pruned during a frost. It's better to wait a little longer.

How do you prune a globe catalpa?

To prevent a globe catalpa from growing too large, you can prune it annually or every two years.

Prune the long shoots of your trumpet tree back sharply, to about 10–20 cm above the graft. If you want your catalpa to grow a bit larger, you can also choose to prune up to about 50 cm from the graft.

Don't prune all the way back to the trunk. Since this bulbous tree is grafted onto a rootstock, you run the risk that it won't sprout again.

What other ball-shaped trees can you prune this way?

Other ball-shaped trees that can be pruned around this time of year and in the same way include ball-shaped acacia, ball-shaped prunus, and ball-shaped sweetgum.