Pruning Demystified

How do I prune a shrub?

• Use a pair of sharp bypass pruners for the job. Their scissor-like action makes nice clean cuts.
  
  
•  Cut stems back to just above a big bud or set of buds. The bigger the bud you cut back to, the thicker and more vigorous the growth that comes from it will be.
  
  
• When cutting a stem back, avoid cutting into heavy wood where you can’t see any buds.
  
  
• Make pruning cuts as small as possible by cutting stems straight across instead of on an angle. This ensures speedy healing.
  
  
• Aim to remove about one-third of the plant when pruning. There are two main approaches:

Why should I prune a shrub?

When in doubt, don’t prune! Most shrubs don’t require  regular pruning in order to be healthy and beautiful.
When you consider pruning a shrub in your yard, first  ask yourself why you want to prune it. Every subsequent decision you’ll make in pruning depends on the reason why you are pruning in the first place, so never prune without a reason.
Reasons you may want to prune a shrub:

• Improve flowering and fruiting
• Improve stem color on plants like dogwood
• Improve the plant’s habit or shape
• Encourage rebloom
• Neaten a plant’s appearance by removing old blooms or wayward shoots
• Rejuvenate or shorten an over-grown shrub
• Create a special feature, like a topiary or formal hedge

TIP!  Most shrubs have an appealing natural habit that doesn’t require extensive trimming and shaping. Enjoy your low-maintenance landscape and only prune when necessary.

1. Cut back the entire plant more or less evenly. This shortens the stems and ensures that the growth for the year comes from big, vigorous buds further down on the plant.

2. Remove selected stems entirely. This encourages new growth from the base of the plant, improving the health and habit.