Pruning is an important part of maintaining a beautiful landscape.

No matter if you want to train your plants to grow a certain direction, control size and shape, improve growth or remove dead or damaged branches, pruning is essential. Pruning your bushes, shrubs, and trees properly can be challenging without adequate knowledge. Although there is a multitude of information out there about how to prune, we have put together a basic how to properly prune your plants in the follow article. Remember to always consult a professional when dealing with large trees but with the information contained in this article you should be able to tackle most pruning challenges in your yard by yourself.

Knowing the right time to prune

The time to prune your plants varies based on the plant species, so you may want to look up the best time for each specific plant that you wish to prune. But here are some general rules to follow:

• Spring flowering shrubs – prune right after blooming season has finished
• Summer flowering shrubs – prune before new grow, between the months of January & March
• Conifers – prune in late Summer or early Fall
• Evergreens – prune in May
• Flowering Evergreens – prune directly after flowering
• Diseased or damaged branches – prune as soon as possible, no matter the time of year

Choose the right tool for the job

The type of tool that is best for pruning depends on type of plant that you are intending to prune as well as the size of the job that you are tackling. Using the appropriate tool will help you work less and help the plant heal faster. Below is a list of different tools and what they are used for:

• Hand Pruners – Used on smaller jobs. Available with bypass blades (sharpened, curved & overlap blades used on new green growth) or anvil blades (straight upper blade cuts against broad, flat blade used on dry, hand or old growth)
• Loppers – Used on larger jobs because of their longer handles which increase leverage and reach.
• Hedge Shears – Used on most hedges and shrubs except for large branches.
• Pruning Saws – Used to remove branches that you can’t cut with either hand pruners or loppers.
• Pole Pruners – Used for high out of reach branches that can’t be accessed with a ladder.
• Pole Saws – Used for high out of reach branches that pole pruners can’t cut.

How to make a proper cut

First make sure you are working with a sharp pruning tool. Make sure that all cuts are smooth and clean. Do not leave any stubs or remove bark because an incorrect cut can prevent the plant from healing properly and leave it open to disease. Most of the time, you want to cut all stems back to a bud or branch. Cut upward at a 45 degree angle about 1/2 inch above an outer bud or collar area of a branch.