Using the proper pruning techniques to keep trees, shrubs and flowering plants healthy is both a science and an art. If done properly, pruning can prevent many of the problems that plague landscape trees and shrubs and create a more pleasing appearance. However, improper pruning can cause damage to a plant or tree and, in some cases, lead to death.
Pruning is most often required on deciduous trees and shrubs to improve or maintain their health, shape, and structure. Keeping trees and shrubs pruned regularly can help protect people, cars and property by eliminating hazards such as dead branches that fall in storms or overgrowth that interferes with utility lines. It can also help to increase the production of flowers and fruit, and it can aid in maintaining the structural integrity of a tree or shrub.
Winter pruning is the best time to prune Primetime Pruning many deciduous trees and shrubs because they are dormant. This minimizes the amount of sap flow and reduces the likelihood of disease or insect infection on pruning wounds. Pruning during the dormant season is especially important on young trees to promote proper development, shape and form.
The goal of winter pruning is to remove weakened or damaged branches, to shape the overall shape and size of a tree or shrub, and to control the spread of the plant. This can be accomplished by using both thinning cuts and heading cuts.
Thinner cuts are used to remove large limbs or open up the center of a plant. They are typically made in the form of a “bow tie” or “knot.” This is the preferred technique for most shrubs and trees because it allows the plant to heal over a shorter period of time, leaving minimal stubs. It is important to step back and look at a plant from all sides as you make these pruning cuts. It is easy to remove too much and leave a scraggly, unattractive appearance.
Heading cuts sever shoots or branches that are less than one year old, or reduce the length of a branch without regard to nearby lateral branches. This technique is commonly used on young trees to reduce growth and stimulate re-growth after storms, or when reducing the length of older or overgrown trees where there are no suitable lateral branches for cutting back to.
You may have noticed that some people slap tar or paint on the trunks of their trees after pruning. Historically, this practice was intended to help prevent the spread of disease in the cut. In actuality, the tar or paint only serves to trap moisture in the wound, encouraging microbes that can cause disease. It is important to avoid slathering tar or painting on the trunks of your trees after pruning and to allow the wounds to seal naturally. To further assist in this, it is best to prune in dry weather.