Proper pruning is an important part of landscape maintenance. Not only does pruning shape a plant for aesthetic purposes, it also provides a means to control growth and eliminate structural problems such as overlapping or crossed branches.
SIMPLE PRUNING RULES
- Clean, inspect, and sharpen all pruning tools before use. Scour your tools with a natural cleaning powder such as baking soda or a scrubbing cleanser. Rinse your tools thoroughly before drying with a clean rag. Wipe blades with vegetable or grapeseed oil to keep their mechanics lubricated.
- Select the proper tool for the job. Take care not to strain yourself nor the tool you’re using.
- Hand pruners: Perennials and twig stalks less than one inch in diameter.
- Loppers: Branches over one inch in diameter.
- Hedge shears: Shaping bushes and shrubs.
- Hand saw: Various purposes, larger shrubs and tree branches.
- Have a definite goal in mind before you start. Step back often to view the plant for desired appearance.
- Prune a little at a time until you achieve the desired effect.
- Prune close to the trunk or branch and try not to leave stubs.
- Make cuts at a 45◦ angle one-half inch above a bud. When buds are directly opposite on shrubs, cut straight across one-half inch above the base of the buds.
Remove branches that are dead, dying, diseased, crowded or broken using hand pruners, pole pruners, loppers and/or hand saws.
Remove select branches to increase light and air movement and to help decrease weight on heavy branches. The natural form of the tree or shrub is retained when performed properly. Hand pruners, loppers, and hand saws are recommended for this method. This method is sometimes referred to as insert pruning.
SPRING & EARLY SUMMER FLOWERING PLANTS
Spring and early summer flowering plants bloom on the previous season’s bud growth. Therefore, do not prune these plants until after heavy flowering is over and avoid pruning them in the fall. This will allow new growth to harden off and develop flowerbuds for the following spring.
LATE SUMMER & AUTUMN FLOWERING PLANTS
Late summer and autumn flowering plants bloom on the current season’s growth. These plants prefer to be pruned in the late fall after flowering or in early winter.
Some varieties of shrubs have been hybridized to bloom continuously from both current and last season’s growth. We recommend pruning for these varieties to control shape after their prime blooming period is over.
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