| |
 |
Selective Pruning of Ornamental Trees and Shrubs |
 |
 |
| |
When to Prune
The basic rule for pruning spring flowering trees and shrubs
is to do it immediately after the majority of spent blooms have
fallen off. This gives the plant lots of time to grow new stems
and develop next year's spring flower buds.
Late summer or fall flowering trees and shrubs usually flower
on new wood or stems that have grown during the current season.
Well before flowering time is when these late bloomers should be pruned, to encourage as much new growth as possible and promote maximum
flower production. Prune these plants during their dormant period,
in late winter or early spring.
Dead, damaged, diseased or dangerous wood should be cut off
as soon as the problem is spotted, regardless of season. Dead wood
should be cut back to live wood. Diseased branches should be
cut a couple of inches back into healthy wood, and the trimmings
should be burned or disposed of. Do not leave them on the ground
and do not compost them. Remember to disinfect your cutting
tools before using them again on healthy plant parts. Clean
the blades with rubbing alcohol or diluted bleach, which kills
pathogens, and then wipe with an oily cloth to prevent rusting.
Damaged branches displaying broken stems or peeled bark can
be cut below the damaged site to appropriate lateral branches
or buds. Dangerous branches that pose a safety hazard to people
or property can be redirected by cutting back to a side branch,
which will grow in a better direction. Low-growing tree branches
that are in the way of pedestrians should be removed back to
the tree trunk.
Renovation Pruning
The best time to renovate an overgrown tree or shrub is when
you can clearly see its framework. In deciduous plants, this
is when they're dormant and leafless. You may have to forgo
some flowers for a year or so, but you'll do a better pruning
job when it's clear where cuts need to be made to improve form.
Pruning promotes new growth, so avoid pruning these plants in
late summer or early fall, as the imminent freezing temperatures
will kill any newly stimulated growth.
Once you have corrected a plant's initial worst faults, revert
to a pruning schedule that suits its growth cycle (i.e., before
or after flowering).
|
|
|
|
|
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Other Articles from this Issue |
|
|
|
|
