Pruning Your Trees and Shrubs

Pruning is the practice of cutting back trees or shrubs to improve their appearance, manage size and health, and control or redirect growth. It can be a daunting task for some and may seem like an unnecessary chore to many, but properly pruning your plants and trees will improve the overall landscape of your home, increase property value, reduce risk and liability issues, and provide aesthetic benefits.

Pruned plants and trees have a more polished, healthy appearance that enhances the beauty of your landscape and elevates the curb appeal of your home. It is important to prune your ornamental and fruit trees, as well as your shade trees, in order to maintain their health and prevent damage or disease.

Trees that aren’t pruned often can be at risk of falling during storms or in high wind conditions. This is especially true for trees that have damaged, dying, or broken limbs. Keeping your trees and shrubs pruned helps them remain structurally sound, which also reduces the chance of injury or damage to people and property.

Properly pruning and maintaining your ornamental and fruit trees will also boost their harvest. By removing the dead and overhanging branches, more light can get to the lower canopy which allows for better air circulation and promotes healthy leaf growth. This is especially true for fruit-bearing trees, which are more likely to yield larger and more plentiful crops when properly pruned.

In addition, proper pruning can help control pests and disease, which are more likely to occur in overcrowded or unhealthy trees. When left unchecked, diseases and insects can spread quickly from one branch to another via insect migration or through soil contact. In addition, thinning, which removes branches down to their point of origin, can help control plant overgrowth and enhance the penetration of sunlight throughout the canopy.

For certain trees, such as azaleas, rhododendrons, and mountain laurel, pruning should take place immediately after they bloom in late winter or early spring. This is because these shrubs flower on wood that was produced during the previous growing season. Other shrubs, such as lilacs, magnolias, forsythia, and summersweet, can be pruned at any time of the year.

source https://treetechvictoria.wordpress.com/2024/06/27/pruning-your-trees-and-shrubs/