Why Pruning Trees and Shrubs
Pruning is a landscaping procedure that signals for the growth and maintains the form of a plant. Based on aesthetics and science, pruning is also preventive management so that shrubs, plants, and trees can growth healthy and to their full potential. Most plant problems can be avoided by pruning using the proper technique during formative years for shrubs and trees.
Reasons Why to Prune
There are a multitude reasons to prune, to include the following critical ones:
When pruning or trimming, never remove the top of a plant or tree - this mistake cause health problems and harms the tree or shrubs natural shape and promotes poor growth.
Also prune to improve and maintain a tree or shrub, for the function in landscape, and also:
The function and appearance in your landscape is important to the plants' purpose. For most home landscapers, a plant's primary natural shape is ideal for the landscape. Never prune shrubs into too tight of patterns - this will negatively impact flowering and growth. When trees and shrubs are correctly pruned, it is virtually impossible to note that, in fact, they have been pruned.
There are other reasons to prune trees and shrubs, to include some that are safety related:
- Promotes healthy tree and shrub growth
- Eliminates stubs of branches and limbs
- Eliminates branches that are rubbing or making contact with each another
- Rids the plant of dead or dying material caused by storm damage, insects, disease, animals, and other types of harmful damage
When pruning or trimming, never remove the top of a plant or tree - this mistake cause health problems and harms the tree or shrubs natural shape and promotes poor growth.
Also prune to improve and maintain a tree or shrub, for the function in landscape, and also:
- Promotes flower, fruit and overall growth
- Maintains the density of trees and shrubs
- Maintains or enhances the tree or shrubs form or shape, to function properly in your overall landscape design
The function and appearance in your landscape is important to the plants' purpose. For most home landscapers, a plant's primary natural shape is ideal for the landscape. Never prune shrubs into too tight of patterns - this will negatively impact flowering and growth. When trees and shrubs are correctly pruned, it is virtually impossible to note that, in fact, they have been pruned.
There are other reasons to prune trees and shrubs, to include some that are safety related:
- Maintain or control the tree or shrub's size and shape
- Maintain non-deciduous trees that function as shrubs as well proportioned and dense hedges
- Safeguard people and property, such as trees or shrubs that can easily overgrown or have needles that are sharp
- Dying or dead branches, limbs, water shoots, and other non-essential growth
- Remove weak or narrow or branches that threaten other landscape plantings and your home itself
- Any tree or shrub growth that interferes with your property and its function, such as pathways, street signs. driveways, etc.
- Growth that blocks safety and vision
- Growth that could impact your safety, in terms of blocking the egress to/from your home
- When planting new trees or shrubs, it is best to beginning pruning at this time
The Best Time to Prune
Young trees that are pruned incorrectly (or never at all) will require years of heavy intrusive pruning to resolve issues that have developed over it early life. When planting new trees and shrubs, always remove all dead and broken branches, which will start the plant's growth off to a healthy start. Also always prune young trees to promote natural grown, but never trim the leader starts, which are required for healthy growth.
Pruning is one of the best activities a home landscaper can do for both immature and mature trees and shrubs. Performed properly, pruning can provide a lifetime of enjoyment of your individual trees and shrubs as well as your complete landscape. However, performed poorly, it can lead to years of ugly and unhealthy plants that subtract from your overall landscape. Pruning in the last winter or early spring is the best time, however pruning done any time of year will have positive benefits. Pruning in the dormant seasons creates less stress on the plant and allows it time to begin new growth in the spring. Further, it is easier, visually, to trim a plant in the winter as your can more easily see the complete structure of the tree.
Pruning is one of the best activities a home landscaper can do for both immature and mature trees and shrubs. Performed properly, pruning can provide a lifetime of enjoyment of your individual trees and shrubs as well as your complete landscape. However, performed poorly, it can lead to years of ugly and unhealthy plants that subtract from your overall landscape. Pruning in the last winter or early spring is the best time, however pruning done any time of year will have positive benefits. Pruning in the dormant seasons creates less stress on the plant and allows it time to begin new growth in the spring. Further, it is easier, visually, to trim a plant in the winter as your can more easily see the complete structure of the tree.