Pruning

Pruning is the selective removal of parts of a plant, to improve the plant's performance. Effective pruning of any plant is based on knowledge of the plant's natural growth habit and how the plant will respond to removal of its various parts (branches, buds, fruits, etc).

Proper plant selection can eliminate much of the pruning requirements in today's landscapes. Unfortunately, plants are frequently placed in the landscape according to their current size and shape, not the size which the plant is likely to attain in five or more years. The homeowner or landscape manager soon finds it necessary to clip or prune plants frequently to keep them within bounds. For instance, frequent pruning is assured when photinia shrubs are selected as foundation plants, since this plant can quickly grow to 25-30' tall. Utilizing a low-growing, compact shrub in such a location would greatlyreduce or eliminate required pruning. It is less time consuming and less costly to select and install the proper sized plant than to choose one which will require frequent, timely pruning. Ask your nurseryman or consult a reliable source for growth rate and size of desirable plant species. If a plant needs to be pruned several times each year to control size, it may be the wrong species for that location. Many prunings can be eliminated by proper plant selection and this can save space in landfills by reducing the volume of yard waste.

Plants may be pruned for a number of reasons. Determine why you are pruning a plant before beginning.

Pruning for plant health

For example:

Remove dead branches from trees and shrubs whenever sections turn brown.
Remove diseased branches as an alternative to chemical treatment.
Remove spindly growth to encourage vigor in the remaining branches.
When two crossed branches rub against each other and develop bark damage, an infection site can develop; removing one of the branches early can prevent this.


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	>>Home > Pruning Pruning is the selective removal of parts of a plant, to improve the plant's performance. Effective pruning of any plant is based on knowledge of the plant's natural growth habit and how the plant will respond to removal of its various parts (branches, buds, fruits, etc). Proper plant selection can eliminate much of the pruning requirements in today's landscapes. Unfortunately, plants are frequently placed in the landscape according to their current size and shape, not the size which the plant is likely to attain in five or more years. The homeowner or landscape manager soon finds it necessary to clip or prune plants frequently to keep them within bounds. For instance, frequent pruning is assured when photinia shrubs are selected as foundation plants, since this plant can quickly grow to 25-30' tall. Utilizing a low-growing, compact shrub in such a location would greatlyreduce or eliminate required pruning. It is less time consuming and less costly to select and install the proper sized plant than to choose one which will require frequent, timely pruning. Ask your nurseryman or consult a reliable source for growth rate and size of desirable plant species. If a plant needs to be pruned several times each year to control size, it may be the wrong species for that location. Many prunings can be eliminated by proper plant selection and this can save space in landfills by reducing the volume of yard waste. Plants may be pruned for a number of reasons. Determine why you are pruning a plant before beginning. Pruning for plant health For example: Remove dead branches from trees and shrubs whenever sections turn brown. Remove diseased branches as an alternative to chemical treatment. Remove spindly growth to encourage vigor in the remaining branches. When two crossed branches rub against each other and develop bark damage, an infection site can develop; removing one of the branches early can prevent this.

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Pruning

Pruning for plant health