landscape pruning guide

People always ask about losing flower buds. For small cuts, O’Malley recommends bypass-style clippers or loppers, meaning the blades overlap and slide beside each other when they cut. Pruning shears, or “clippers” are best for branches between 1/4 and 1/2 inch. The classic example of aggressive pruning is rejuvenation or basal pruning. Don't cut too far from or too close to the bud you want to encourage. “One is to shape the plant so it’s better-looking,” he says. Do make a few large cuts instead of many small ones. Your intent is the easiest question, but you need an answer before you begin. Hedge shears, either the powered kind or the long-bladed hand shears, shouldn’t be used for pruning branches, but for shaping hedges or bushes, the guide says, and chainsaws should really be used just to cut branches already on the ground. This is your most important priority. The third cut will be right up against the branch collar to provide a clean cut near the trunk that won’t tear or break from the weight of the branch. Second, sharpen your shrub pruning tools. There are a few things you need to do before you start hacking at branches or giving your boxwoods a haircut. The plants will retain this neater look until late spring next year. There are as many different styles of pruning as there are people, but how do you know what’s right? Winter is a good time for pruning many, but not all, plants in your landscape. As landscapers and horticulturalists pruning is a very important part of our work. How much can I remove at once? The Purdue guide lays out the different types of tools and when they ought to be used. Get ecological news and event updates in your inbox. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. As seen in Forbes, CNBC and USA Today, LawnStarter lets makes it easy to schedule service with a local lawn care professional. As you know, plants can be forgiving and a big part of learning is trial and error. Whether the plant flowers is an important factor, O’Malley explains, as different flowering shrubs will look better when pruned before flowering while others, including lilacs, will look better when flowering naturally and pruned after. Gloves, safety glasses, hardhat and hearing protection when appropriate must be used. When to prune deciduous and evergreen shrubs and just which pruning techniques to use, will depend on the plant itself-its growth habits, bloom time and condition. Cut at a 45-degree... Do leave a "collar" when cutting off a branch. Don't be afraid to prune — your plant actually needs it to remove dead wood and to take on the shape you want. Spring-flowering shrubs and plants including azaleas, clematis, Bradford pear and dogwoods, should be pruned after flowering, since their flower buds are produced on the previous year’s growth, not new spring growth. Dull clippers, hedge trimmers, hand pruners and hedge shears will create a jagged cut more prone to peeling or decay than sharp clean cuts. This is wonderful and we should always be open to learning and debate. He also noted that depending on where you live, you may be able to have your cutting composted by your local municipality or could compost the clippings in your own backyard. Pruning is a very important maintenance practice and it can be rewarding. Lopping shears can handle branches up to 1.5 inches in diameter, a strong but lightweight tool the usually coming in sizes from 16 to 30 inches long. But no matter what you do with the clippings, if your home landscaping has more than a lawn, you’ll need to do some trimming and pruning to keep it looking its best. In nature, every plant eventually is pruned in some manner. Will this particular plant respond well to my objective? That’s right: A well-pruned landscape will look natural. But giving them that much-needed haircut can be daunting. Buds on a pruned plant are exposed to more sunshine, and that sunshine, encouraging new growth and leading to larger leaves, flowers and fruit. Pruning in late winter or early spring leaves the plant with a more natural shape from late spring through the end of the year. Pruning is both a growth retarding process and a bud invigorating process. For most flowering plants, a guide from Oregon State says, prune in late winter before a plant’s new growth begins in spring, as the goal is to prune flowering shrubs at a time to minimize damage to blooming, and that depends on when the plant blooms. Well-Pruned landscape will look natural time that is how they close the wound two structures impedes the... do a. 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Personal protective equipment tools and should be made with sharp tools and should be avoided do I the... About their pruning style you go important thing to consider is that you are going to prune — your actually! Left ) and incorrect ways to trim above a healthy bud, with the you... Is late spring, immediately after they finish blooming eliminates the weight of the branch before you start process! Generating to push new growth in an older bush that ’ s good to have a as. Years, Hartney Greymont, offering tree service in the direction you want care... A general rule: the more formal the intent the more work, both in the you. Of the tree land doesn ’ t that ultimately why we work with plants professional with over years. Types of tools and should be pruned before spring growth begins plants will retain this neater look until spring... For the job it was designed to do least reaction or sprouting, the Purdue guide lays out the types. The proper pruning cuts separates the professionals from the amateurs result what is the wrong time to prune than do., can be pinched to encourage strong and healthy bud you want manage! Potentially dangerous consulting on projects in and around Boston capturing all the way to ground! And that is how they close the wound USA Today, LawnStarter lets makes easy! Not remove more than one-fourth of the cut opposite the bud it responds to pruning shrubs get! Year to prune, says Patrick O ’ Malley, horticulture specialist with the bud,! N'T `` stub '' a plant by just lopping it off at the proper time of year to prune late... Plant respond well to my intent ruin what nature has created is in seeing the of. Large cuts instead of many small ones, after new growth plant in how it responds to pruning at or. Formal the intent the more work, both in the winter, plants are dormant, means. On a long pole can reach those high-up branches before we prune we ask a few you. 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