Helpful Pruning Tips
Pruning your trees, shrubs and roses is necessary. A well-pruned plant will be more resistant to disease and it won't grow to a gigantic size. New gardeners may look upon pruning with fear and trepidation, especially if they've read horror stories of people killing their plants with improper pruning techniques. Don't let your fear get the better of you. If you use the proper tools and take care with each cut you make, your plants will thank you for your pruning efforts through luscious growth.
Your pruning tools should always be kept as sharp as possible. This allows you to make clean cuts, rather than dull cuts that can bruise or tear branches. Your tools should also be cleaned with disinfectant soap after each use. A prepared gardener needs three pruning tools:
- Pruning shears, which fit in the palm of your hand and are appropriate for cutting small branches.
- Lopping shears, which have longer handles. The long handles allow you to get more leverage to cut larger branches.
- Hand saws, for removing very large branches.
Begin any pruning project by looking for dead or diseased branches. Remove these branches as close to the base of the plant as possible. Next, look for branches that rub together or that grow in twisting directions. Remove these branches as well. This sort of pruning can be done year-round, and is often all the pruning you'll be required to do. The plant will have more open spaces, allowing air to circulate.
To help a plant grow in a specific shape or fit down to a specific size, you'll make more significant pruning cuts. Each particular plant has a specific ideal pruning time, and a specific format a savvy gardener should follow. Before you make any shaping cuts on any plant, research when you should prune your plant and where you should make your cuts.
