Pruning

Tree Removal     Stump Grinding     Topping     Land Clearing

Pruning is a horticultural practice that alters the form and growth of a plant. Based on aesthetics and science, pruning can also be considered preventive maintenance. Many problems may be prevented by pruning correctly during formative years for a tree or shrub.

Reasons for pruning

Prune to promote plant health

  • Remove dead or dying branches injured by disease, severe insect infestation, animals, storms, or other adverse mechanical damage.
  • Remove branches that rub together.
  • Remove branch stubs

Avoid topping trees. Removing large branches leaves stubs that can cause several health problems. It also destroys the plant’s natural shape and promotes suckering and development of weak branch structures.

Prune to maintain plants; intended purposes in a landscape, such as:

  • encouraging flower and fruit development
  • maintaining a dense hedge
  • maintaining a desired plant form or special garden forms

Prune to improve plant appearance

Appearance in the landscape is essential to a plant’s usefulness. For most landscapes, a plant’s natural form is best. Avoid shearing shrubs into tight geometrical forms that can adversely affect flowering unless it needs to be confined or trained for a specific purpose. When plants are properly pruned, it is difficult to see that they have been pruned! Prune to:

  • control plant size and shape
  • keep shrubby evergreens well-proportioned and dense
  • remove unwanted branches, waterspouts, suckers, and undesirable fruiting structures that detract from plant appearance

Prune to protect people and property

  • Remove dead branches
  • Have hazardous trees taken down
  • Prune out weak or narrow-angled tree branches that overhang homes, parking areas, and sidewalks – anyplace falling limbs could injure people or damage property
  • Eliminate branches that interfere with street lights, traffic signals, and overhead wires. REMEMBER, DO NOT attempt to prune near electrical and utility wires. Contact utility companies or city maintenance workers to handle it
  • Prune branches that obscure vision at intersections
  • For security purposes, prune shrubs or tree branches that obscure the entry to your home

Pruning begins at planting time

Pruning is really the best preventive maintenance a young plant can receive. It is critical for young trees to be trained to encourage them to develop a strong structure. (See Figure 1)

Young trees pruned improperly or not pruned at all for several years may require heavy may require heavy pruning to remove bigger branches to prevent trees from becoming deformed.

At planting, remove only diseased, dead, or broken branches. Begin training a plant during the dormant season following planting.

  • Prune to shape young trees, but don’t cut back the leader.
  • Remove crossing branches and branches that grow back towards the center of the tree.
  • As young trees grow, remove lower branches gradually to raise the crown, and remove branches that are too closely spaced on the trunk.
  • Remove multiple leaders on evergreens and other trees where a single leader is desirable.

Pruning young shrubs is not as critical as pruning young trees, but take care to use the same principles to encourage good branch structure. Container grown shrubs require little pruning.

  • When planting deciduous shrubs, thin out branches for good spacing and prune out any broken, diseased, or crossing/circling roots.
  • When planting deciduous shrubs for hedges, prune each plant to within 6 inches of the ground.