One little cut. It seems so trivial.
That one little cut will effect the plants growth
structure, and it's hormanal balance. Each little cut
should have a plan in mind as to how it will effect the
plants future growth. It is possible for one misplaced cut
to turn a prized, and expensive plant into one that is
ugly, and virtually worthless. Just one little
cut.......
Plants do not have to ever be trimmed at all unless it is for a specific purpose. Generally, the less you prune a plant, the better. If you have to continually prune a plant to control its size, you have the wrong plant for that location, and it would be best to replace it.
You can trim a young plant to encourage it to grow a certain way. If a plant is lopsided or mishapen, you can prune it for shape. If a plant is pruned when young to remove any crossing branches, and to grow the way you want, it should rarely, if ever need pruning when it is mature. A well shaped plant may not ever need pruning at all. Never prune a plant without a specific purpose in mind.
You should never remove "part" of a branch. Remove the
entire branch at the next adjoining branch, the trunk, or
at the ground; whichever is nearest to the part you wish to
remove. If you make a cut in the middle of a branch, it
will either: A) Die back to the nearest adjoining branch,
or B) cause the plant to put out two or more branches in
place of the part you cut. By making a cut in the
middle of the branch, if it lives, you are causing yourself
much more work, since at least 2 branches will replace the
one you cut. Essentially, an exersize in futility. This is
why shearing is bad, and causes extra work, because you are
cutting not one, but all of the branches in the middle of
the branches.
Repeated shearing causes a greatly abnormal amount of
branches at the outer edge of the plant. This causes
the middle of the plant to die out, because it cannot get
any light. It can promote "powdery mildew" because it
prevents normal air circulation. It is
possible to literally shear a plant to death.
If you feel you must make a cut in the middle of a branch,
make it way down inside the plant, so that it
can't be seen, so that when it puts up those new branches,
it will be a while before they grow up out
of the inside, and need to be removed. If there is
no adjoining branch near where you need to make a cut, you
can
cut just above a "node". A "node" is where the plant will
put out a leaf, or a branch. If you make a cut at the node,
the plant will put up 2 or more shoots from that node.
Cutting at the next adjoining branch will prevent this.
Plants have hormones called "auxins" which are in the tips of the branches. These hormones control the way the plant grows. Constant shearing is also constant removal of these hormones. By making selective cuts we can use the hormones to our advantage, to make the plant grow how we want. Careless and constant abuse of thes hormones makes a plant grow in abnormal ways. People do strange things when they have hormone imbalances too.
It should never be obvious to
anyone who has not seen the plant before that it has ever
been trimmed. It should look like it grew that way
naturally, and you should not see any cuts or stubs. (I
often rub dirt over fresh cuts to make them blend in with
the bark.) Whenever possible, cuts should be made so that
they cannot be seen.
The same principles apply wheather you are pruning a large tree or a shall shrub. When you top a tree, you are making cuts in the middle of the branches, and causing the same results as with shrubs, only on a larger scale. The damage is much more noticable on a tree, because it is much larger.
It is often good to "treeform"
or "raise" large shrubs. This is done by removing all of
the lower branches, (at the trunk) so that it looks more
like a tree. This is very helpful when your plants are too
crowded. By "raising" the taller plants so that the lowest
limbs are above the shorter plants, it gives the shorter
ones more room. It gives all of the plants more
"definition". This method is also effective for those who
fear someone hiding behind a tall bush. Rather than cut the top out, and make it shorter, remove the bottom. It is much harder to hide behind a narrow trunk than a short bush. It
looks much better, and is much easier to maintain too.
The best time to prune any
plant is in the winter.(When it is dormant.) Many say to
wait to prune spring bloomers until after blooming. I
disagree. You may prune off some flower buds, but if the
plant is in need of pruning the blooms will only call
attention to the fact. Winter pruning has no effect on the
amount of flowers except for the buds that may be on the
limbs that you cut off. If anything, it will allow the
roots to put more energy into feeding the remaining buds,
making the flowers larger, and healthier. Prune everything
in winter, then relax and enjoy the show in spring and
summer. If a plant is marginally hardy, it is best to wait untill late winter to prevent frost damage to the wounds made by pruning.
Pruning Steps
Before you start, throw away those shears and get
youself a decent pair of pruners! Always start
at the bottom of the plant, and work your way up. 1. Remove all dead, dying, or diseased
branches. 2. If any branches are crossed and/or
rubbing against each other, remove the weaker branch. 3. Remove any branches that detract from the overall
shape of the plant 4. If any shoots are much taller
than the rest of the plant, cut them back to the next
adjoining branch, or a "node" down inside the plant.
(A "node" is where a leaf or bud is.) Remove "sucker" growth as it appears. (suckers are the
shoots that come up from the base, and trunk of a
plant.)
Many people make the mistake of only cutting the top of plant, and ignoring the rest. When pruning start from the bottom ot the plant, rather than the top. After pruning from the bottom the top may not need anything done to it.
If you feel you need to cut a plant back drastically, chances are, you need a smaller plant for the location. Resist the urge to cut all the branches exactly even, at just the height you want. If you do, each of those branches will put up 2 or more shoots. Cut only the tallest shoots, and cut them back down inside the plant, preferably where it joins another branch. If not at an adjoining branch, make the cut just above a "node", down inside the plant, so that you cannot see the cut, and when it puts up shoots they will not immediately need trimming.
If you want to reduce the height of the plant, it is best to cut it a little shorter than the desired hieght. Resist the urge to cut all the branches at the same height, but vary the heights. this will be done naturaly if you always cut at a node.
Your plant should look as if it has not been pruned, and your cuts should not be visible, but hidden by the foilage.
I am often asked what can be done to make a plant look decent that has a lot of dead in it, or has been badly damaged. I have gotten some inspiration for some of these "hopeless" plants from looking at pictures of bonsai. If you remove all the dead, and work with whatever you have left, even if its not much, it is possible to come up with something really artistic looking.
Plants do not grow square,or
perfectly round. Each variety of plant has its own unique,
and distinctive shape and form.(and none of them are
square.) Pruning should compliment the natural shape, not
destroy it. The harder you try to change the natural shape,
or size,
the harder the plant will try to restore it,
causing an unending battle and much unnecessary work for
you. Why use a plant if you don't like it anyway?
If you have to trim a plant more than once or twice a year
you either have the wrong plant for the location, or you
are not trimming it properly. If you have to trim a plant to control its size within the first year after planting, you've made a big mistake in plant selection! You are in for trouble!
Shearing destroys a plant's growth
structure, as well as its value. Shearing is not proper
pruning.
One picture is worth 1000
words. I plan to add some more before and after pruning
photos
to this page soon.
For starters, Here are some photos from a couple of
properties I've
trimmed recently.
