Pruning Basics

Pruning involves the selective removal of plant parts including branches, buds, leaves, flowers and roots. It can be performed on both soft-tissue (herbaceous) plants and woody plants (trees, shrubs, etc).

Pruning is an important part of landscape maintenance for many reasons. It improves the health and appearance of a tree, controls insect pests and diseases and can reduce safety hazards. Pruned plants also help provide more sunlight to the ground and improve a property’s view.

There are several different pruning techniques that can be used, but thinning and heading cuts are the most common and effective for most trees and shrubs. Thinning cuts remove a portion of a branch or limb, while heading cut reduces the overall size of the limb. In some cases, a combination of these cuts may be necessary to achieve the desired outcome.

In general, a pruning cut should always be made at the point where a bud or branch is located. This allows the bud or branch to become the new terminal end and promote side branching. The lateral branches and buds that form above the pruning cut will then develop into the next set of leaves or blooms and increase the plant’s vigor and beauty.

For deciduous shrubs such as hydrangea, honeysuckle and viburnum, removing dead and damaged wood in winter is ideal because it minimizes the risk of insects and disease in the spring. For flowering shrubs such as azalea, rhododendron and magnolia, and perennials such as rose-of-Sharon, lilac and chokeberry, pruning after spring blooms is best because their flowers are produced on wood grown the previous year.

Restricting Growth/Hazards

The purpose of this type of pruning is to reduce the potential for damage to structures, people or cars caused by the plant’s overgrowth. It is most often done by removing limbs that are crossing, crowding or rubbing together.

Branches that have become diseased or infested with pests should be removed immediately as they can quickly spread the problem to healthy branches and shrubs. Removing these weakened or diseased plant parts will allow the rest of the plant to recover.

The final type of pruning is to shape a tree or shrub. This may be done by removing the tips of limbs to encourage more branching or by shortening a twig or branch. When pruning a shrub such as Schefflera, Pothos, or Aglaonema, cutting to the bud just above the swollen base is recommended. This allows for side branching to form and can prevent the formation of a leggy plant. It is also beneficial to prune out old or unruly growth on these types of plants because it can encourage the plant to grow more vigorously. For larger plants such as trees, pruning during the winter is often preferred because it is easier to see the shape of the plant without its foliage. This can save time and money on pruning in the future and prevent damage to the plant during the growing season.

from Sunshine Coast Tree Lopping Caloundra https://ift.tt/72aID4Y