How to Prune Outdoor Plants

Many plants look great year round, but only if they are pruned properly.  If a plant is overgrown, it will start to struggle and will see a benefit from an occasional trimming.  By reducing the plant’s size, the plant can then concentrate its vital energy and nutrients towards a smaller area.

• Pick the best time of the year to prune your outdoor plants.  Spring and fall are generally the best seasons for pruning.  The weather is nicest at those times and this makes it more enjoyable to be out in the garden in spring and summer.


• Select the proper pruning tools.  Because a pruning tool is one of the most used tools in gardening, make sure to select one that is comfortable in your hands.  Whatever you choose, make sure it has sharp cutting edges, as a dull tool will crush and tear at a plant instead of cleanly cutting it.


• Inspect your plants often for dead branches.  When you find a sick or withered branch or stem, cut it down to where you can see healthy growth still exists.


• Prune tree branches all the way down to the trunk.  You will want to cut the branch as close to the trunk as possible, making cuts parallel to the trunk.  If the branch is thick, first cut into the branch from the bottom and then finish it off sawing from the top.  This will help to minimize tearing of bark off of the tree.


• Prune bushes and plants as close to the ground as possible. Remove thin stems and trim them off as close to the base of the plant as possible.  Try not to remove more than a quarter of the stems a year when you are thinning bushes.