Shrubs : Number of Breaks
General
The habit of the shrub maybe further qualified by the number of branches/breaks/lateral growths which can be expected for a given size of specified plant at point of sale. Grades have now been established indicating the minimum number of breaks which can be expected for bare root, rootballed and container grown shrubs of a range of growth types and sizes.
Bare Root Shrubs
Table 1: Typical ornamental amenity shrubs: showing breaks in lower third
| |
Ht. in cm. |
Compact |
Low |
Medium |
Vigorous |
| SHRUBS |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
20-30 |
4 |
4 |
|
|
| |
30-40 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
|
| |
40-60 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
| |
60-80 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
| |
80-100 |
3 |
4 |
|
|
| |
100 + |
|
|
3 |
5 |
Table 2: Hedging shrubs e.g. Ligustrum spp.
| |
Ht. in cm. |
No. breaks |
| SHRUBS |
|
|
| |
40-60 |
6 |
| |
60+ |
6 |
| |
80-100 |
8 |
| |
100+ |
8 |
| LIGHT SHRUBS |
|
|
| |
30-50 |
3 |
| |
50-80 |
3 |
| |
50-80 |
5 |
Rootballed Shrubs
The number of branches, which is dependent on growth habit and size, may be specified in the following grades :
Container Grown Shrubs
The number of breaks occurring in the lower third of the plant may be specified. This is dependent on the habit and size of the shrub, bushy plants typically have more breaks (3-6) whereas branched plants have less (2-3).
e.g.
Hamamelis spp. = 2 breaks
Lavandula spp. = 3 breaks
Cytisus spp. = 5 breaks
Sarcococca spp. = 5 breaks
The genus Rhododendron is an exception; the number of breaks varying from 4 to 10 dependent on size and type.
Larger Container Grown Shrubs
These specifications cover shrubs grown, typically, in 2-3 litre containers. This represents the majority of the plants for sale. For larger container volumes the OVERALL HEIGHT will and the NUMBER OF BREAKS may increase dependent on the habit and vigour of the plant.