Pruning is a regular, ongoing activity that helps keep plants healthy and attractive. Pruning consists of selectively removing stems from trees, shrubs and perennials for aesthetic, structural and functional reasons. Some of the most common objectives include improving a plant’s shape and structure, controlling size, enhancing flower and fruit production, and providing clearance for structures, traffic, and views. Other goals can include opening up vistas and repairing damage caused by storms or by wind and snow. Pruning also can help reduce the risk of disease and insect infestation, as well as improve air circulation and light penetration throughout a plant’s crown.
The first and most important thing to know about pruning is that it should always be done for a reason. This helps you make sound decisions about what branches to remove, where to cut and when to prune. Pruning with a purpose can save time and money in the long run, as well as protect against expensive mistakes like topping, over-pruning, pruning too late or not pruning enough.
Proper pruning techniques vary by kind of plant and even by cultivar within a species. However, there are some general principles that apply to all types of plants. For instance, most shrubs and some trees benefit from thinning cuts to reduce the density of their canopy. These kinds of pruning cuts can be made anytime, but are most effective when done early in the spring before rapid growth starts.
In general, all pruning cuts should be clean and smooth to encourage rapid wound healing. For this reason, you should use sharp pruning equipment and never leave stubs that are larger than the branch collar. These stubs get no support from leaf tissue, eventually die back and provide a portal for disease to enter the tree or shrub. It is also important to avoid tearing the bark when making any cutting cuts. This can cause severe bleeding and hinder the formation of a callus that seals and protects the wound.
Pruning can be a daunting task for home gardeners, especially on large shade or ornamental trees that require ladders and safety equipment to access the upper reaches. Therefore, I strongly recommend leaving large, established shade trees and other tall shrubs to qualified arborists or tree care professionals who have the proper equipment and training to safely remove larger branches.
On smaller, low-growing shrubs such as lilacs, viburnums and forsythia, it is possible to do most of your pruning work on newer growth that grows from the base of older stems, called suckers. On these younger stems, a light thinning program, called renewal or renovation pruning, can be used to remove old unproductive stems and open up the plant for better air circulation and sunlight penetration. This is usually done over a three year period on older lilacs, viburnums, and forsythia to completely replace the old, lackluster growth with new, flower-producing stems.
Pruning should be performed to a specific plan that includes the desired shape of the plant as well as the best times of year for each plant. The ideal window for pruning is different for each plant, so knowing this information can help you avoid pruning at inappropriate times and reduce the need for future maintenance.
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