How to Prune Correctly

Why Pruning is Important

Pruning is much more than just trimming back overgrown branches or removing dead wood. When done correctly, it can:

1. Promote Healthy Growth: Removing dead, damaged, or diseased branches allows the plant to redirect its energy to healthy parts of the plant, promoting more vigorous growth.
2. Improve Air Circulation and Sunlight Exposure: Pruning opens up the canopy, allowing sunlight and air to reach the inner parts of the plant. This helps reduce the risk of fungal diseases and encourages even growth.
3. Encourage Flower and Fruit Production: For many flowering and fruit-bearing plants, pruning helps to stimulate more blooms and a better yield of fruits.
4. Maintain Size and Shape: Pruning keeps plants within their designated space, preventing overcrowding and ensuring they maintain an aesthetically pleasing form.
5. Remove Hazards: For trees or large shrubs, pruning is essential to remove branches that could pose a risk by falling or obstructing pathways.

When to Prune

Timing is crucial when it comes to pruning, as it can impact the plant’s growth, health, and flowering potential. Here’s a general guide to help you decide when to prune various plants:

• Deciduous Trees and Shrubs: These should typically be pruned in late winter or early spring before new growth starts. This is when the plant is dormant, and pruning won’t shock it or cause excessive bleeding.
• Spring-Flowering Plants: Plants like lilacs, forsythias, and azaleas bloom on old wood (the previous year’s growth), so pruning should take place immediately after they finish flowering. Pruning in winter or early spring will remove flower buds and reduce the number of blooms.
• Summer-Flowering Plants: Prune summer bloomers like hydrangeas and roses in late winter or early spring. These plants bloom on new wood, so pruning before the growing season encourages more vigorous flowering.
• Evergreens: Light pruning can be done throughout the growing season, but major pruning should take place in early spring before new growth starts. Avoid pruning in late fall, as new growth won’t have time to harden off before winter.
• Fruit Trees: Prune fruit trees like apples and pears in late winter, while stone fruits like cherries and plums are best pruned in summer to avoid diseases.

How to Prune Correctly

1. Use the Right Tools: Invest in high-quality, sharp pruning tools. Bypass pruners are ideal for small branches, loppers for medium-sized branches, and a pruning saw for thicker, tougher limbs. Clean and sanitize your tools regularly to prevent the spread of disease.
2. Start with the Three D’s: Always begin pruning by removing Dead, Diseased, or Damaged branches. These can harbor pests and disease, weakening the plant.
3. Cut at the Right Spot: For branches, make clean cuts just above a node or bud, where new growth will emerge. Avoid leaving long stubs or cutting too close to the bud, as this can cause dieback.
4. Thin Out Dense Growth: For shrubs and trees with dense foliage, thinning out excess branches improves airflow and light penetration, reducing the risk of disease. Focus on removing crossing branches or those that grow inward toward the center of the plant.
5. Don’t Over-Prune: It’s tempting to prune heavily to reshape a plant, but too much pruning can stress the plant and stunt its growth. Generally, you should remove no more than one-third of a plant’s growth in any given year.
6. Shape and Maintain Structure: Pruning is not just about cutting back; it’s also about shaping. When pruning young trees or shrubs, establish a strong structure by removing weak or crossing branches, and encourage a balanced form.

Pruning Specific Plants

Different plants have different pruning needs. Here are some specific tips for commonly pruned plants:

• Roses: Cut back roses in early spring, removing dead and damaged wood. Cut just above an outward-facing bud to encourage growth away from the center of the plant, which improves airflow and reduces disease risk.
• Hydrangeas: Depending on the type, hydrangeas need different pruning approaches. For those that bloom on old wood, like Hydrangea macrophylla, prune after flowering. For those that bloom on new wood, like Hydrangea paniculata, prune in late winter or early spring.
• Fruit Trees: Focus on opening up the canopy to allow sunlight to reach the fruits. Remove any suckers (vigorous shoots from the base) and water sprouts (shoots growing vertically from branches), as these divert energy away from fruit production.
• Clematis: Clematis varieties can be divided into three groups based on when they bloom. Some bloom on old wood and should be pruned lightly after flowering, while others bloom on new wood and should be cut back in late winter.

Conclusion