Shrubs and bushes can add a lot to your property when they are well maintained. Lawn care is not limited to simply mowing the lawn or raking the leaves. There are many other aspects of the yard that need some tender loving care. When bushes aren’t tended to properly you can end up with the result of unsightly and diseased plants. Pruning those shrubs may seem like a daunting task at first, but the results can be quite beautiful once you get the hang of it.

Why do I have to prune my shrubs?

Pruning enables a plant to grow into a healthier state. Cutting back overcrowded branches allows more air to circulate throughout the plant while allowing more sunlight to reach into all areas of the shrub.

Pruning keeps the shrub healthy by removing dead, damaged, diseased branches, and other plant material that may cause damage to the rest of the shrub over time. Dead branches also attract insects which can lead to further disease. Keeping the plant free of sickly branches is essential to the health of the plant.

When should I Prune my shrubs?

Non-flowering plants

Plants and shrubs that do not flower can be cut back after its new growth has formed. Shrubs such as the burning bush and barberry are kept primarily for their foliage, and pruning is done to maintain healthy growth. Major pruning jobs should be done to these types of shrubs preferably when they are dormant during the winter months.

Early spring flowering shrubs

The best time to prune shrubs that flower in the spring is right after they have bloomed. Shrubs such as lilac, rhododendron, and forsythia bloom flowers on the wood growth from the previous year. Pruning these shrubs late in the growing season will reduce the number of flower blooms it will produce in the following spring.

Summer flowering shrubs

These types of plants should be pruned back in the winter and early spring. They produce their flowers on the growth from the current season and should be pruned while they are dormant or before they begin new growth. These types of shrubs include crape myrtle, the butterfly bush, and potentilla.

How do I prune my shrubs?

General Pruning

1. This type of pruning will remove any of those damaged, diseased, and dead branches. First, remove any of the growth that you do not want. Remove dead limbs at the base without making the top of the shrub wider than the base. Avoid cutting back more than 1/3 of the bush during yearly pruning.

2. Thin out the areas of outer growth that are too thick. This will ensure that the inside of the bush will get plenty of ventilation and sunlight. Using clippers, cut along the branch in the thicker areas at the plant base or right above the new growth.

3. Remove the suckers. These are the small branches that grow along the base of the trunk. Remove the small, verticle limbs (otherwise referred … Read More..