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Pruning 101

April 6th 2022



Pruning 101,

Here I will be talking about pruning:

  1. What is pruning
  2. Improper pruning
  3. Benefits of pruning
  4. When to Prune

The time has come to start making a plan on what you are going to be doing this season for landscaping. The first thing item that should be on your list should be Pruning. It is critical that pruning be done right to avoid damaging or even killing your tree or plant.

What is Pruning?

Lets start at the beginning! What is the actual definition of the word PRUNE. Merriam-webster.com defines prune as the following:

: to cut off or cut back parts of for better shape or more fruitful growth

: to cut away what is unwanted or superfluous

Here is the link to the website: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prune

pruning a bush

The word superfluous simply means unnecessary. So all your doing when you prune is getting rid of the branches or parts of the tree or plant that are not needed. Sounds simply right! Just grab some shears and start cutting! THAT IS THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO!!!

2 BIGGEST MISTAKES THAT CAN HURT YOUR TREE!

As mention above pruning takes skill and you can easily cause damage to you tree or plant if you do not know what you are doing. Think of pruning a tree as the tree getting a haircut.

Have you ever gone in to the hairdresser and received a BAD haircut! 😕 That is probably because the hairdresser did not have enough skill to cut your hair the way you wanted it. Well Pruners are just like hairdressers, if they are not skilled they can give your tree a "bad haircut".

How bad can it be? I'm just cutting a few branches!

I will say that even a couple of bad cuts can cause your tree/plant to either look bad or even damage it. There is nothing more noticeable than a tree/plant that is has branches growing all funny and unbalanced.

circle with line through it

1. The first mistake is making a bunch of small cuts on the ends of the branches. The main purpose of pruning is to create healthy new growth, so when you make a cut several new branches with grow where you cut. So now you have cut the tips of the branches all over the tree/plant and now all that new growth will be out of control and look terrible. Large and strategic cuts are what is going to make your tree healthy and more fruitful.

LESS IS MORE!

A tree is a living thing and every time you cut into it, are causing a wound. The more wounds you create the harder it is for your tree to heal from those wounds, and can cause your trees health to decline.

Many pests feed on trees and plants and by making it easier to get to the food source you are creating the perfect storm for a pest infestation which can kill your tree or plant!

overpruned stumps

2. The second mistake is simply not pruning at all. Sounds strange to say doing nothing with cause harm but it does. You need to stimulate new growth to allow a tree to live a long life and produce vibrant colors. If new growth is not encouraged then life span of the tree or plant will be cut short.

Benefits of Proper Pruning

Proper pruning will ensure that your tree or plant will encourage new growth and will be more fruitful. New growth is always the most vibrant, this will make your space look more appealing.

Having large heavy branches that are not pruned can fall, potentially causing damage you your property or to a person.

Properly maintained trees and plants can also increase the property value, and potential home buyers love a well cared for outside. If the outside does not look good and appealing they are less likely to look at the inside.

It is always best to hire a professional so that you can get the most out of your tree or plant and to increase your property value!

dollar sign

They will know:

  • What branches need to be cut to encourage new growth
  • How many cuts to make
  • What branches are harming the trees growth
  • How to correct any damage caused by previous pruning

When to Prune

Pruning is normally done in the early spring and late winter when the tree/plant is dormant. This will allow the tree to better recover.

There is a great website from The Almanac that talks about the benefits of pruning while the tree/plant is dormant. I have dropped the link below:

https://www.almanac.com/winter-pruning-guide-trees-and-shrubs

Thank you for coming back to my page, I hope this information has been helpful