Whether you inherit a garden of mature plants or are installing a new landscape, there comes a time when the trees, shrubs and vines need some pruning. While intimidating to the uninitiated, pruning is an easy, satisfying task if you follow simple guidelines for each type of plant.
In general, pruning should benefit the plant as well as the esthetics of the garden. There are many reasons to prune: to control the size of a plant, to encourage new growth, to increase the number of flowers or fruits and to remove dead, diseased or damaged plant parts.
A lot is said about the correct time to prune; however, timing is not always critical. If disease is present, prune immediately. If you plan on removing much of the plant, it is important to choose the correct season since timing is critical to the plant's recovery. If you just need to do a little shaping, timing is less important. My father always said "Prune whenever your knife is sharp."
Often the trick is deciding whether something should be pruned. To answer this, ask yourself about the plant; is it new? Misshapen? Too big? Not flowering? Then you must be able to identify the plant so you can define the task. Each plant is then pruned according to its particular needs. This can be answered in most gardening books, on the web, or by asking a gardening professional in town.
Many gardeners hold off pruning until the plant grows too large, and often respond by whacking large parts off the plant until it is the right size. The end result is often unattractive, and the plant often responds by pushing out lots of bushy, shapeless, weak new growth.
The best way to shape a new plant is to begin when you buy it. Before you plant it, remove the container and trim off all broken roots above the break. Root-bound plants (those with a tangle of roots at the bottom) should be separated either by hand or with a knife. After planting, cut off broken branches or any that look diseased. Next, prune out limbs that cross or grow downward. Remove branches that deviate from the natural shape of the plant. If there are a few well-placed branches that are too long, cut these back to a bud facing in the direction that you would like the plant to grow.
After this initial pruning, your plant should need little care. As time passes and you decide pruning is in order, always start by removing any dead or diseased wood. Then decide how you want to change the overall shape. To do this, remove the largest branches first, stepping back between cuts to view your work. Finish with smaller cuts to refine your plants shape.
You can encourage new growth with a light thinning or pinching, or decrease the size of your plant with a heavy pruning. A general rule of thumb is never to remove more than one third of the foliage at once. Any more, and the plant may not be able to recover.
Good Gardening!
