| When homeowners say they are going to prune | | | | shrub needs: maintenance or rejuvenation. |
| their shrubs, they often mean they are going to | | | | Maintenance pruning is only required a couple of |
| 'shear' their shrubs. Although shearing has its uses | | | | times a year and involves just removing |
| in landscaping, it is usually done for aesthetic | | | | unwanted branches to maintain a natural shape. |
| reasons and seldom results in a healthy plant. | | | | Look for long branches that look out of place. |
| Pruning on the other hand, if done correctly, | | | | When removing, reach into the center of the |
| leaves the plant healthier and shaped more true | | | | plant and find the point of natural branching. This is |
| to its natural form. | | | | the place you want to make the cut. The cut |
| Shearing, sometimes called heading, is used to | | | | should be at a 45 degree angle to allow water to |
| form shrubs into desired shapes as in a hedge or | | | | run off. Make the cut 1/4 inch above a bud node. |
| as a topiary. Although the plants are aesthetically | | | | The bud node is where new growth will begin, so |
| pleasing, they are seldom healthy. Shearing results | | | | choose a node pointing in the direction of the |
| in stimulating a lot of new growth at the very | | | | desired growth. Choosing a node pointed toward |
| outside of the plant where the cuts are made. | | | | the center of the plant will result in a crossing |
| This thick growth then prevents light from | | | | branch. If the shrub is a flowering variety such as |
| reaching the inside of the plant, causing the interior | | | | azaleas, remember the old adage "Prune after |
| to be limited in foliage and contain mainly branches. | | | | Bloom" if you still want your yearly bloom. |
| The growth at the point of shearing will be very | | | | Rejuvenation pruning should be reserved for older |
| fast, resulting in the need for constant shearing to | | | | plants. As plants age, major stems or branches |
| keep the plant in the desired shape. If you feel | | | | lose their vigor and become unproductive. |
| you must have that manicured hedge, when | | | | Rejuvenation pruning means exactly what it says, |
| shaping the hedge, leave the base wider than the | | | | it rejuvenates older plants by returning them to |
| top. This will allow sun to reach the lower | | | | their prior vigor and form. There are two ways |
| branches with the end result of maintaining a | | | | to do this, one drastic and the other is less |
| healthier plant. | | | | severe. |
| Another reason plants are sheared is that the | | | | Sometimes called renewal pruning, this drastic |
| wrong size plant was chosen for a location. | | | | pruning involves cutting the plant completely back |
| Always remember when purchasing plants to | | | | to a height between 6 to 12 inches. Since this can |
| take into account its' mature size. Since most | | | | be very hard on a plant, it is not suitable for all |
| plants come in a varieties of mature sizes, take | | | | shrubs, so check with your local nursery, |
| your time and choose a plant appropriate for the | | | | extension agent or research it yourself before |
| allocated space. If you chose a variety that will | | | | cutting. Timing is also critical with this type of |
| grow larger than you need or have allowed space | | | | pruning as the plant will need time to recover. |
| for, you will be constantly shearing it back to the | | | | Late winter or very early spring is best as the |
| appropriate size. However, if you find yourself in | | | | plant is still dormant. Pruning is late Fall or |
| this situation, actual pruning, not shearing, will be | | | | mid-Winter may actually stimulate growth that |
| easier on you and the shrub. | | | | can then be damaged by the cold. Renewal |
| Proper pruning always results in the healthier more | | | | pruning will result in vigorous growth and by |
| vigorous plant. Proper pruning also leaves the | | | | summer stems can then be thinned and trimmed |
| shrub in its true form, not shaped into something | | | | to encourage lateral branching. |
| it isn't. Take the Crepe Myrtle for example. For | | | | If the plant is still fairly vigorous, if the shrub |
| years, Crepe Myrtles were cut back to the main | | | | cannot handle a drastic cutback or if you want to |
| trunks every winter, causing the plants to sprout | | | | rejuvenate the shrub but still maintain its form in |
| multiple arching stems on each trunk. This shape | | | | the landscape, you can do a less drastic long term |
| became associated with the Crepe Myrtle and | | | | rejuvenation. This process spans a three year |
| soon became the norm. Only now are landscapers | | | | period, so only one third of the plant is removed |
| learning to use different varieties in different | | | | at any time. Begin by determining which are the |
| locations and allowing the plant to grow as nature | | | | oldest, least productive stems and cut them back |
| intended. These Crepe Myrtles require minimal, | | | | to the ground but do not remove more than one |
| care just the removal of unwanted sprouts on | | | | third of the plant. The second year, once again |
| the major stems and around the base, and are | | | | review and remove the oldest one third of the |
| just as beautiful, if not more so, than the ones | | | | stems. Finally in the third year, you will remove |
| that have been "Crepe Murdered". | | | | the remaining old stems. Now you have a |
| Any pruning should begin with removal of any | | | | completely new vigorous plant and yet you |
| dead or crossing branches. Crossing branches are | | | | maintained your desired landscaping during this |
| branches that grow inward toward or crossing | | | | process. |
| the inside of the shrub. These are of no use and | | | | Following these simple techniques will keep your |
| can inhibit the growth of desired branches by | | | | shrubs healthy, vigorous and, in the case of |
| shading the inside of the plant. Once the dead and | | | | flowering shrubs, covered in blooms year after |
| crossing branches have been removed, you will | | | | year. |
| need to determine what type of pruning the | | | | |