Tree and plant pruning: everything you need to know

What is pruning? Well, to some it’s really nothing, but to a horticulturist, it’s an important procedure that maintains and encourages proper plant growth.

However, pruning is not just for the big-word people, it’s also for the backyard enthusiast who just wants to improve their trees.

If that sounds like you, in this article, we will cover a variety of information on pruning.

So keep reading to find out more.

Why Should I Prune and What Is Pruning?

First and foremost, you want your tree, shrub, or plant to be healthy and look great. If that’s the case, pruning is practically a necessity and not a nuisance.

So, what is pruning?

Proper pruning encourages safety by removing low-growing branches which might obscure incoming traffic or impede moving vehicles.

How about removing broken/split branches before they come falling down on a person, house, or car? What about whip branches that love to kick back upon an unsuspecting passerby?

Pruning takes care of all that, but that’s just the beginning.

Overgrown and neglected plants are alterable into multi-trunked trees if the lower limbs are removed. This might be a consciously better idea over digging out the shrub and planting another.

Pruning also allows you to encourage plant growth in the direction of your choosing. Each cut that you make will prevent growth in one direction and influence it into another.

If you want to prevent undesirable growth, pruning is for you. Cutting wayward branches, thinning outgrowth, removing suckers and water sprouts will aesthetically improve your tree by all means.

Plants of all kinds are susceptible to disease, rot, and rubbing damage, thus pruning them will improve their overall health. And if you want to increase your blossom and fruit yield, pruning can help you do that.

It might be a tedious chore, considering the level of involvement, but you get what you give.

When Should I Prune?

Even though pruning at the “wrong” time will not damage your trees and plants, it can still diminish blossom and fruit. In premise, spring-flowering plants should be pruned after the flowers fade.

Summer-blooming plants should be pruned in the winter or early spring (before new growth). In locations of harsh winter, summer pruning encourages growth before the cold has settled.

However, this advice is only pertinent to areas in which climate consists of four distinct seasons. In warm-winter locations, timing will depend on the native climate for the plant.

If you’re having doubts about when to prune your plant, speak to a tree pruning specialist who will be able to assist you.

Growth Bud Definitions

Pruning only makes definitive sense when you comprehend the location and role of a growth bud. Depending on the bud and the cut, the growth will be directly affected.

If your pruning is to have a result that you expect, you need to learn the difference growth bud definitions.

Terminal

A terminal bud is a type of bud that grows at the top of a shoot, thus causing it to grow longer. The buds product hormones that move throughout the shoot, which leads to other growth bud inhibition. Isn’t that something?

Lateral

A lateral bud is a type of bud that grows on the side of a shoot, and rises to the side, making a plant bushy.

The buds will remain dormant until the shoot has reached a certain length, in which the influence of the terminal bud is diminished or it has been pruned-off.

If you remove a lateral bud, you direct growth to the terminal bud, thus making the shoot…
 
 
Continue reading and learn more about pruning on Daisy Linden’s blog.