How does pruning help in making the hedge dense?
It frees axillary buds from apical dominance
The apical shoot grows faster after pruning
It releases wound hormones
It induces the differentiation of new shoots from the rootstock
Pruning helps in making the hedge dense as it frees the axillary buds from apical dominance. In fact, the apices of the plant axis, (e.g. shoot apex) has the highest concentration of auxin which suppresses the axillary buds while promoting the growth of apical bud. When the shoot apex is cut down through pruning, the axillary buds grow and the hedge becomes dense. Hence, the correct answer is option 1.