Pruning – A Necessary Maintenance Activity

The goal of pruning is to manage a plant’s health, appearance and structure. When performed properly, it reduces wind damage and improves the overall look of your landscape. In addition, regular pruning of certain trees and shrubs can prevent property damage by reducing the chance of dead branches falling on your home or cars. Unpruned plants or trees can become overgrown, crowded and unsightly. They may also be more prone to disease, insect infestation and damage from the elements. Pruning is a necessary maintenance activity for all landscape plants and trees.

Light pruning, which removes damaged or diseased branches or stems, can be done at any time of year. However, most pruning should be completed before the plant starts growing in spring. Pruning at this time allows the plant to focus its energy on growth and preparing for spring flowering or fruit production. It also minimizes the chance of new diseases or insects infiltrating the plant during its vulnerable growing season.

Thinning is a common type of pruning that removes some of the plant’s limbs and canopies to open up space within the plant canopy, allowing for more sunlight and air to reach the ground. It is important not to remove more than one-fourth of the crown at a time, as this will weaken it. When performing thinning cuts, it is important to start at the underside of the branch, and cut just above a bud that faces away from the trunk of the tree. This will encourage growth away from the trunk, preventing water and diseases from collecting at this point.

Crossing or inward-growing branches should be removed because they can chafe against other limbs and create an access point for insects and disease to enter the plant. Crossed or inward-growing limbs can also break off easily during a storm, and they are more likely to fall during a storm than other limbs that are pruned properly.

Size management pruning is a general form of pruning that can include removing the top of a tree, reducing the height of a plant or reducing a plant’s width. It is recommended that you consult with an expert when attempting to shorten a tree or change a plant’s shape.

Aside from enhancing the beauty of your landscape, regular pruning will reduce the number of pests and critters that live and nest in your plants. This will keep them from consuming the foliage, sucking sap or spreading diseases that can affect you and your family. Pruning can also reduce the amount of rodents that will crawl or fly into your house through small gaps in your trees and shrubs.