Pruning Your Trees, Shrubs and Perennials

Pruning is the selective removal of plant parts to encourage or guide a tree, shrub or perennial’s growth pattern, repair damage, maintain safety and health, reduce competition for sunlight and space, control size, and to improve appearance. Pruning is a common activity for both herbaceous and woody plants (including trees, shrubs and perennials) and can be done at any time of the year.

It is important to prune a tree, shrub or perennial correctly and at the right time of the year in order to get the best results from the pruning. This will ensure a healthier plant, increased blooms or fruit, and improved resistance to disease. Proper pruning also promotes healthy soil and minimizes weeds.

Often the first step is to remove dead, damaged or diseased branches or stems as soon as they are noticed. This can help prevent insect and fungal problems as well as reduce the risk of branch or crown breakage during storms. It is also important to remove crossing or rubbing branches, water sprouts (vigorous upright growing shoots that form on trunks or side branches), suckers (vigorous rootstock shoots developing near or from ground level) and other objectionable growth.

Many flowering and fruit trees are best pruned right after they finish blooming, as this helps them to focus energy on producing a bountiful harvest the following season. This practice is also recommended for shrubs that bloom on old wood, such as rhododendrons (Rhododendron spp.), lilacs (Syringa spp.), and forsythia (Forsythia spp.).

Shearing a hedge is another type of pruning that is commonly performed. This process usually involves trimming the top of a hedge to a consistent height and shears the sides so they are straight and even. It is best to stop shearing hedges about six weeks before your area’s average first frost.

For shrubs like roses and clematis, it is a good idea to do some light pruning during the winter and early spring in order to keep them in shape and prevent overcrowding. This can also help to prevent excessive vigor and stunted growth that may occur during the summer.

A more serious type of pruning is called crown thinning and typically involves the removal of specific live branches to reduce a tree’s overall density. This allows more sunlight to reach the inner canopy, reducing stress on select limbs due to gravity, wind, or ice/snow damage. It is recommended that you prune your established trees and shrubs yearly, but it is also beneficial to lightly prune on an as needed basis throughout the year. This can include trimming low hanging branches, removing water sprouts or suckers, and light shearing to keep plants in shape. This is particularly true for hedging, where it is a good idea to shear about once every other year in addition to shearing between each bush/vine. This will also allow for proper air circulation and minimize weed competition.

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