How to Prune Plants & Shrubs
Plants and shrubs add beauty to a home or business. There is nothing more beautiful than blooming plants. They usher in the warmer weather with their beauty and unique smells. However, shrubs and plants need to be pruned so they will continue to grow and add their beauty to the exterior of a home or building.
What you will need:
Pruning shears, limb saw with extension pole, shears with long handles, hedge trimmer
Directions:
- Be mindful of the presence of any power lines or other dangerous areas. You may need to call for permits in some of these areas. If you do not feel comfortable trimming around power lines, consider getting a professional to handle that for you.
- Take a good look at the area and envision how you want the plants to look when you are done, and make a note of the branches that need to be cut to achieve it. At this point it can be important to understand the pattern of growth for individual plants.
- Start the actual pruning with cuts along the dead and dying branches. When you are removing these branches, make sure you keep them away from the healthy ones, particulalry if they appear diseased. It is a good idea to use different shears in these cases, or disinfect your shears prior to using on the healthy branches.
- Pull away the branches growing down in the direction of the ground. Doing this will keep the shrub appearing upright. It is also important to dislodge branches intersecting each other. Remove some of the inner branches so that sunlight can reach down into the plant.
- While working, step back from time to time to take in how the plant's shape is coming along. Be sure to adjust your pruning if needed.