Pruning Trees and Shrubs

Pruning is a critical part of landscape maintenance, and the best way to ensure healthy trees and shrubs. Regular pruning eliminates diseased, dead or broken limbs that could fall and cause damage to people, property or structures. It promotes airflow and helps prevent diseases by reducing moisture buildup. It also reduces hazards by removing limbs that could fall and create safety issues during storms or severe weather conditions.

Proper pruning can also rejuvenate plants, encouraging vigor and enhancing beauty. In addition to removing weakened or diseased limbs, it can be used to remove old growth from plants that are overgrown and to train young plants as they grow. It is important to prune as often as needed, but not too frequently. Pruning too often can damage a plant, leaving scar tissue that seals in water and potential disease organisms.

There are many different types of cuts that can be made to a tree or shrub. Some of the most common are thinning, crown cleaning, reducing density and shaping.

A thinning cut opens up a dense canopy by removing branches that are growing toward the center of the plant. This allows more sunlight to reach the interior of the plant and results in a healthier, more beautiful landscape. This type of cut is recommended for most deciduous plants, evergreens (such as rhododendron or mountain laurel), and some conifers. A thinning cut should not be done to a plant that blooms on last year’s wood. For example, azaleas, dogwoods and forsythia should be pruned before they flower in late spring.

Crown cleaning removes the overlapping and crossing limbs that can result from overgrowth. This can be done to most plants but is especially useful on large evergreens that can become overgrown and unattractive. When making a crown cleaning cut, it is best to use slanting cuts rather than straight across. This minimizes the amount of water that collects in the wound and expedites healing.

Reducing density reduces a tree’s overall height and width by removing limbs from the bottom of the canopy up to the point where they begin to interfere with people, vehicles or structures below. A reduction cut should be made to a lateral branch that is at least half the diameter of the one being removed.

Structural cuts help to improve a plant’s shape and structure by removing large, obstructive limbs or correcting the direction of a leader. When doing a structural cut, it is important to make the cuts at the right time of the season.

Pruning should be done before a plant’s first flush of new growth in the spring, as this is when the plant is most able to heal its wounds. A plant that is pruned too early in the season may be damaged or die from a lack of energy to replace those lost limbs. It is also important to avoid using pruning paints or dressings, as research has shown that these compounds can actually interfere with a plant’s natural ability to compartmentalize and heal wounds.

from Rangeview Tree Services https://rangeviewtrees.wordpress.com/2024/07/27/pruning-trees-and-shrubs/