Pruning and Shearing
DIY landscapers are often reluctant to tackle pruning because they believe it to be monotonous and ineffective. Still other would-be gardeners avoid planting entirely just for the sake of avoiding pruning! Despite it being lampooned as excessively tedious, correct pruning techniques are extremely beneficial to a wide variety of trees, shrubs, flowers, and plants. Pruning can stimulate growth and boost overall plant health. Thoroughly researching plant varieties prior to pruning also allows for the total number of cuts to be greatly reduced.
Some DIY landscapers may think pruning is simply cutting off the end of a branch or stem, when in fact indiscriminate cutting can significantly harm a plant. There are several general principles to keep in mind here. First, homeowners should remove all accessible dead plant matter. This both grants more room to work and allows for greater precision in making correct cuts. Training cuts come next?these are cuts made to gently adjust a plant's natural growth pattern. Before a natural growth pattern can be adjusted effectively, however, homeowners must have a good idea of how each particular shrub, tree, flower, or plant grows. Extreme adjustments can often do more harm than good. Prune to remove dead or dying branches to consolidate plant energy and reduce the risk of exposure to harsh weather and pest infestations. Take care to remove all water spouts, which are soft, aggressive growths that often spurt in chaotic patterns from injuries on tree branches. Water spouts cause structural failure at the site where they attach to the branch as the branch itself hardens. This raises the risk of collapse later in the tree's life.
Pruning at the right time is just as important as actual pruning technique. Again, homeowners should research every individual plant variety in their landscape. The timing and location of effective cuts can differ widely among plants, but generally a late winter to early spring pruning works well. New foliage is often generated quickly because of energy stored over the winter. Pruning just before winter is not recommended, as soft growth can lead to exposure and death. Homeowners should make sure their pruning blades are sharp to avoid splintering branches.
DIY landscapers can also boost the health of more delicate plants, such as several flower varieties, via pruning. Many flower varieties produce seeds after their blooms begin to die. Pruning these dead blossoms?a practice known as deadheading?before seed production begins tricks the plant into thinking that it has been unsuccessful in its attempts at pollination. Thus, the plant produces more blooms to attract pollinators. Deadheading stimulates new growth and prolongs the bloom cycle. Homeowners wanting to save flower seeds for next year's planting should not attempt deadheading, however. A lengthy bloom cycle means that flowers usually will not have enough time to divert enough energy into seed production before winter's first frost occurs and dormancy begins.
Tags: pruning, landscape, homeowner, deadheading, plant, bloom cycle
