The Gardeners Guide to Pruning

April 12, 2008 by The Gardener
Filed under Gardening

A certain part of the maintenance schedule of a plant will always include pruning. Pruning involves the removal of certain parts of a plant. Pruning is necessary in order to remove abnormal forms on all our plants and to encourage growth and get rid of dead branches. It not only keeps our plants trees and shrubs looking good but it also keeps them health as well. How and when we prune is also essential for the survival of a plant.

Most trees need pruning at certain times during the year. These times are usually when they are in a dormant season which is normally late fall and winter. Shrubs that blossom in spring should only be pruned when the flower fades while shrubs that bloom in summer should be pruned in early spring.

Pruning places undue stress on trees and leaves them susceptible to diseases and insects. Pruning wounds the plant but allows these wounds to heal. You should monitor how much your prune. It is necessary to prune branches that are unwanted but you must also try to protect the trunk or stem of a tree while you do it.

Different tools can be used to accomplish pruning chores. Hand pruning shears usually work well whenever you’re cutting stems. Lopping shears are able to cut branches that are as wide as 1 ¾ inches wide and they have long handles for a longer reach. Pruning saws tend to be able to remove stems which can’t be cut with hand pruners or lopping shears. Pole pruning shears are usually for branches that are somewhat hard to reach. Chainsaws may be used for branches that may be more than 3 inches in diameter.

It is essential that you know what you’re doing when you’re pruning. Pruning improperly can easily turn a tree that is healthy into a deformed and weakened one. Make sure that you only use sharp tools which are capable of making smooth and clean cuts. Never leave stubs and whenever it’s possible never tear off a piece of bark. You should remember that it is better not to prune than to prune wrongly.

An order exists on how to prune. The first thing that you should do is get rid of any limbs that are dead, broken or damaged. These limbs should be cut at their point of origin or back to a strong side branch or shoot. After this you have training cuts. By cutting back side branches, you can easily maintain a certain shape. Make sure that you also remove weak or narrow crotches.

Three different types of pruning exist for trees. Crown thinning is the removal of certain branches in order to increase light diffusion as well as air movement around the crown of a tree. Crown raising focuses on the removal of branches from the bottom of the crown of the tree in order to achieve clearance. Crown reduction focuses on the removal of branches in order to reduce tree height.

Three different types of pruning exist for shrubs as well as flowers. Thinning our permits growth from both sides of the branches by removing a branch at is source from its parent or the ground. Renewal pruning is about removing a couple of the oldest and tallest branches or slightly above ground level. Rejuvenation pruning tends to be performed on shrubs that are old and overgrown by removing a third of its oldest branches or at slightly above ground level.

Darren Williger is an over-caffeinated, low carbohydrate eating, winemaking enthusiast who writes for PlantWebsite.com, MiniGarden.com, and ContainerGardening.Net.