Pruning Basics
Pruning Topics
- Why Prune
- When to Prune
- Prunning Tools
- What is the Best Shape
- Pruning Deciduous Trees
- Deciduous Shrubs
- Evergreen Trees
- Evergreen Shrubs
Pruning is an important cultural practice to maintain woody plants in a healthy and attractive condition. Many people are apprehensive about pruning. Others see it only as a chore to be done and they give little thought to technique as they hastily do the job.
Pruning is not difficult and only requires a basic understanding of how plants respond to various techniques. It essentially involves removing plant parts to improve the health, landscape effect or the value of the plant.
Included here are some general guidelines for keeping woody plants healthy and to a desirable shape that fits the landscape design.
Tip: When choosing what to plant, the best plant is one which matures to fill the space chosen and naturally grows to the exact form desired with little or no maintenance or pruning. There are many books on trees and shrubs that tell the growth characteristics of plants.
Pruning Causes Growth!!
Sometimes people are afraid to prune for fear of killing their plants. Now its not impossible to remove too much, but for most plants, pruning forces new growth. Its even possible to cut down a tree or shrub and before long, several stems will sprout up where there was once just one. This is the principle I call "Pruning Causes Growth".
So have no fear, armed with a little knowledge, you'll find that pruning is easy and many plants actually benefit from the practice if it is done well.
- New growth happens close to the pruning cut because dormant buds at
this point are stimulated by the cut.
- The plant is trying to grow outward at this point.
- Many people are reluctant to cut anything next year but the new
growth.
- Where is the new growth?
- On the outside of the last cut.
- Each year, the plant grows bigger and bigger without the person realizing it.
- New growth generally results in several stems replacing the single
one that was removed.
- After a few years of masses growing at the tips, the plant is extremely dense on the outside.
- No light reaches the interior resulting in death of interior leaves.
- If secondary hand pruning is done, new growth happens both on
the exterior and the interior.
- Each year there are shorter new branches to replace the old.
- The plant is rejuvenated each year.
Why
prune? Many trees in landscapes are weakened, killed or ruined each year
from improper pruning.
The need to prune may be reduced or eliminated by selecting the proper plant for the location. Plants which grow too large for the site or are not very hardy should be kept to a minimum. However, even the most suitable landscape plants often require some pruning.
The idea that anyone with a chainsaw, pruning saw or hedge shears can prune is far from the truth. However, anyone with some basic knowledge can do an excellent job of pruning.
So, Why Prune?
Humans prune for a number of reasons, but mainly it is because we want to control our environment. There are some very valid plant-health reasons to prune besides our love to control.
Repairing damage, removing diseased or or infested tissue, preventing damage in the future or pruning one plant so that it does not damage as well as aesthetic reasons are all valid reasons to prune.
To Prevent and Repair Damage- Prune to remove any dead, dying, diseased or broken branches.
- Removing branches correctly can encourage quicker wound closure.
- Cut back to live buds facing in a direction you want the branch to eventually head.
To Remove Crossing or Potentially Crossing or Rubbing Branches
- Rubbing causing damage
- Damaged sites are entry points for disease and insects
To Eliminate Tight Branch Crotch Angles
- Branches growing at a smaller angle than 45 degrees tend to be weaker.
- They have a greater chance of breaking in storms.
Prevent Interference by Removing any Limbs that are Interfering with:
- Buildings
- Other plants
- Movement of vehicles or people
To Maintain Shape
- Pruning should be done with the natural shape of the plant in mind.
- Pruning can make plants more attractive
- A well-shaped/natural shaped plant or tree tends to be healthier
- Better able to handle storms and heavy snow.
Increase Fruit and Flowers Quantity or Size
- Cutting back a plant at the proper time stimulates new growth and new flowers, and new fruit.
- Reducing the number of flowers or fruit, often encourages the remaining ones to be larger.
Encourage Colorful Stems and Bark
- On many trees, removing the lower branches allows interesting or colorful bark to be seen.
- Pruning encourages new growth, which is often more colorful than older wood.
To Train the Plant - Direct its Growth
- Pruning permits you to choose the direction a plant's branches will grow.
- This permits you to prevent problems such as:
- Branches that rub together
- Turn inwards toward the center of the tree
- Extend over a walk or against a building or plant or shade out other plants too much
Maintain Size
- This is the most common purpose of pruning.
- Plants are sometimes planted in places that are too small for their potential growth
- They need to be pruned to keep them from overgrowing their site.
Enhance health and vigor
- Pruning encourages new growth, more flowers and helps develop a strong resistance to insects and disease.
- Thinning plants allows sun and air to reach inner branches. Good air circulation is essential for disease prevention.
- It stimulates unwanted sucker growth
- Excess growth is caused by the plant trying to compensate for lost tissue.
- Except when doing rejuvination pruning, remove no more than about 1/3 of the total plant.
Tip: Do not prune too much...
~ Pruning causes growth ~
Protecting your Investment
- Mature, healthy landscaping is an asset to the value of your home.
- Take care of your investments by pruning, keeps plants healthy, vigorous
and attractive.
Warning!!
Never prune trees that are touching or near utility lines.
Consult your local utility company.
Learn to Prune Woody Plants
Nearly
any time of the year
is a good time to prune....
at least something
Pruning can encourage greater flower production, make a plant thicker or thin it out so there is not so much shade under it and other plants will do better.
There are prime times to prune various types of trees and shrubs to bring out their greatest assets.
Knowing when is not difficult, but there are some easy rules you can learn.
Easy Rules for Deciding
When to Prune
Winter through Early Spring is a Good Time to Prune Many Trees and shrubs
- All the leaves are gone
- The basic structure of the tree is visible
- Its easy to see where cuts should be made
- Healing of pruning wounds occurs quickly when growth is starting
in spring
Early blooming shrubs (March-May)
- Prune after they bloom
- They bloom on the previous year's wood
- Pruning before blooming, removes the blower buds
- Some examples: spring blooming spireas, forsythia, mock orange, ninebark, juneberry, shrub roses, flowering quince, flowering almond, rhododendron and azalea, willows (if flowers are desired)
Summer and Fall blooming shrubs
(early June-late fall)
- Prune in late winter or early spring through April
- These plants bloom on new wood
- Many in this group may be cut to the ground or pruned severely
- Cutting to the ground
- rejuvenates the plant
- keeps the plant from growing large
- encourages natural growth patterns that shearing back prevents
- removes diseased stems that can weaken or shorten the lives of some shrubs (willows and dogwoods)
Worst time to prune
- Late summer, mid August until hard freeze in September or October, may be the worst time to prune
- Pruning encourages growth by the plant
- New growth may not have enough time to harden off and prepare the newly grown tissue for Nebraska winter.
- If light pruning is necessary because if damage, disease or a few unruly branches, go ahead and do it
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