Use pruning to help trees, not to control them.
Pruning Basics - Remove ASAP - What to Do - 3 Step Method - Timing -
What to Remove - Where to Prune - Please don't... - Safety
What to Remove - Where to Prune - Please don't... - Safety
Pruning Basics
When pruning, honour the shape of the tree and the intricacies of their beautiful branches.
Pruning is often used to reduce the size of trees and shrubs, but that’s not its purpose. Correct pruning practices are based on maintaining plant health. When a plant grows too big for its britches, it should be replaced with one that fits the space. In other words as the old adage goes ‘right plant, right place’.
Another misconception is that all woody plants (trees and shrubs) need a good hacking back every year in order for them to flower. Nothing could be further from the truth. Plants have flourished and flowered on this planet without our help for millennia. There are numerous reasons why a tree, shrub or vine doesn't flower. Inadequate sunlight and incorrect pruning are the biggest culprits. Correct timing as well as not removing too much at one time is essential if you want flowers, fruit and happy plants. For those plants that fail to flower, despite receiving adequate sunlight, refrain from pruning them. Eventually, they should flower on their own without any assistance.
Inspecting your trees and shrubs is a good idea, but that doesn't mean they should be pruned annually. They do need selective pruning to remove undesirable growth to maintain plant health. Keep in mind when pruning a plant that you are injuring it. You are removing its parts and exposing fresh wood to the elements. You are also removing their leaves and stems, which makes food for the plant. It takes a while to recover, so don't take more than 1/4 of overall growth at one time. Avoid pruning when a plant is under stress due to drought, lack of food etc. Be thoughtful of what and how much you remove and if in doubt - put the pruning gear down and slowly walk away from the plant!
Another misconception is that all woody plants (trees and shrubs) need a good hacking back every year in order for them to flower. Nothing could be further from the truth. Plants have flourished and flowered on this planet without our help for millennia. There are numerous reasons why a tree, shrub or vine doesn't flower. Inadequate sunlight and incorrect pruning are the biggest culprits. Correct timing as well as not removing too much at one time is essential if you want flowers, fruit and happy plants. For those plants that fail to flower, despite receiving adequate sunlight, refrain from pruning them. Eventually, they should flower on their own without any assistance.
Inspecting your trees and shrubs is a good idea, but that doesn't mean they should be pruned annually. They do need selective pruning to remove undesirable growth to maintain plant health. Keep in mind when pruning a plant that you are injuring it. You are removing its parts and exposing fresh wood to the elements. You are also removing their leaves and stems, which makes food for the plant. It takes a while to recover, so don't take more than 1/4 of overall growth at one time. Avoid pruning when a plant is under stress due to drought, lack of food etc. Be thoughtful of what and how much you remove and if in doubt - put the pruning gear down and slowly walk away from the plant!
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Hiring a Professional
For big jobs it is best to hire a professional ISA (International Society of Arborist) certified arborists. Ask for references and to inspect previous jobs. Be wary of those that claim to know how to prune, but do not. A pickup truck and a chainsaw does not make an arborist as many mangled trees can attest to. |
A Peegee hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora') should be pruned in fall or winter.
Remove As Soon As Possible
- Any dead and dying plant parts.
- Anything that is diseased or rotting.
- All broken branches.
- Suckers.
- Watersprouts.
Remove dead branches any time of year.
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Remove watersprouts. They grow vertically along branches.
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Remove suckers from poorly pruned branches.
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Remove all broken branches any time of year.
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Remove suckers that emerge from the base of plants and their roots.
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What to do Before Pruning
- What’s your objective? Before you start, decide what you want to achieve: remove dead and old wood, cut off watersprouts, encourage flowers, remove errant growth etc.
- Know the natural shape of the plant before pruning. Weeping trees must weep, spreading plants must spread!
A 'Young's' weeping birch has a graceful weeping form.
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This 'Young's' weeping birch has obviously has been butchered.
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Pruning Tips
Prune flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum), and most other plants, right after they finish flowering.
Cut stems just above a node (bud) on a 45 degree angle to allow water to drain off.
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Pruning - Timing
Don't prune spring flowering plants like this 'Eddie's White Wonder' dogwood from summer to spring, as you will be removing all their flowers.
- Winter pruning: Pruning when plants are dormant encourages growth (including suckers and watersprouts).
- Summer pruning: Pruning when plants are actively growing, slows growth and reduces suckers and watersprouts.
- Spring pruning: Avoid pruning in spring when foliage has just emerged as this stresses plants.
- Spring flowering plants: Prune just after they finish flowering. Avoid pruning in summer, fall and winter.
- Summer flowering plants: Prune summer and fall flowering plants after flowering through to early spring. Avoid pruning from September through fall.
- Fruit trees: Prune twice: winter and summer.
- Conifers 1: If necessary prune hemlock, yews, Douglas fir, firs, spruce in winter or late summer.
- Conifers 2: If necessary prune cedars, junipers, arborvitae, pines, false cypress (Chamaecyparis sp.) in late spring and early summer.
- Cedar/arborvitae (Thuja sp.,) hedges: Trim hedges no later than early September.
Prune rhododendrons, azaleas and other spring flowering plants right after they finish flowering.
To encourage more fruit and a healthier tree, prune apples in winter and summer.
To make Rose of Sharon more compact prune in winter or in early spring.
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Trim cedar (Thuja) hedges by early September so any new growth that develops doesn't become damaged by frost.
Tame grapes and promote more fruit in summer and winter.
Cut back butterfly bush once their leaves fall in autumn or in late winter.
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To tame wisterias and to promote flowers cut back all side shoots to a few buds in winter and summer.
What to Remove
An apple tree before being pruned.
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The same apple tree after some judicious pruning.
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- Weak and spindly stems.
- Crossing stems.
- Stems that touch and ones that rub each other.
- Low branches that are in the way of pedestrians, vehicles etc.
- Branches that are too long that distract from the shape of the plant.
- Old, mature branches that no longer that bear few or no flowers and/or fruit.
- Tree limbs that touch the eaves and roof to prevent critters from entering the house.
- Stems that grow towards the center of the plant.
- Stubs: they are remnants of branches that weren’t cut at the branch collar.
- Branches grow parallel to each other and ones that are too close.
- Branches attached to the trunk at a narrow angle – 45 degrees or less.
- Planting: remove flowers and fruit when planting and transplanting to reduce stress.
- Suckers that grow from the roots from grafted and non-grafted plants.
- Sports: Stems on cultivars, that have reverted back to their non-cultivated species ex: the Dwarf Alberta spruce (Picea glauca 'Conica') often converts back to its original species, the white spruce (Picea glauca).
Remove this stub before it dies back, compromising the tree's health.
Remove tree limbs that touch the house to prevent critter infestation. Hire a pro where necessary.
Remove spindly stems.
This purple leaved witch hazel has been grafted on a green rootstock, which has started to grow. Pull off the green stems so they don't take over.
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Remove old stems from shrubs, just like this peeling hydrangea branch.
This dwarf Alberta spruce is a cultivated variety of a white spruce, however, the branches on the right are converting back to the white spruce. The must be removed before thy take over the dwarf version.
Remove suckers that grow from the rootstock of grafted varieties.
A rose sucker on the left grew from below the bud union. The branch on the right is not a sucker.
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Either one of these branches should be removed.
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It's best to remove horizontal branch.
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Once red twig dogwood branches mature they lose their colour and should be removed.
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A red twig dogwood with only new colourful stems remaining.
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Where to Prune
A typical stem consists of nodes. These nodes resemble bumps along the stem and they are flower, foliage and stems buds. The terminal tip (apical meristem) ensures the stem elongates inhibiting branching. Removal of the apical meristem, encourages the remaining buds to grow.
To remove a branch, cut just above its branch ridge.
Cut hydrangea stems in winter just above two fat buds.
Pinch pine candles in half in June.
To remove a stem, cut it off at its base.
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To shorten shrub and vine branches, cut just above a node (bud).
Shorten stems on roses and other shrubs by pruning just above leaf, a bud or a node.
To shorten branches, cut just above a side branch.
Branching occurs when the end of a stem is removed (terminal tip, apical meristem).
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Parts of a lilac branch.
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To shorten a branch, cut back to a lateral (side) branch.
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Cut side shoots back to a few nodes (buds) from apple trees in winter and summer.
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Apples form on fruiting spurs so don't prune them off.
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Shrubs
A California lilac before being pruned.
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The same plant after being pruned.
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Although most shrubs are quite tolerant of being cut back, they do need to be thinned. When all the stems are cut back, especially at the same height, it promotes bushiness at the ends of the stem but the lower parts become bare over time. To rectify, the centre of the shrub needs to be cleaned out every few years. Here's some tips on how to prune shrubs.
- To Ensure Flowers: Prune directly after flowering.
- Shrubs Thinning: Thin shrubs before cutting back the remaining stems. Sit down on the ground and remove all branches that cross, grow towards the plant centre, and ones that are spindly, weak and old.
- For Denser Branching: Cut branches back just above a branch, outward facing bud or remove the branch.
- Renewal Pruning: For shrubs that have been topped too often, a more sever pruning is necessary. This is best done when the plant is dormant.
A Japanese spirea needs some rejuvenation pruning.
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The same plant after some serious renewal pruning.
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Things Not to Do
What a Japanese maple tree is supposed to look like.
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A hacked Japanese maple. Too much has been removed and incorrectly.
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Don't sever tree limbs as they will be replaced with suckers, which are obviously no true branches.
Don't top trees! Don't cut more than 1/4 growth off at one time. To shorten branches, cut them back to a lower side branch or remove them entirely.
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Please don't:
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Three step method to remove large limbs
To eliminate the risk of tearing the bark from a tree when removing large limbs is to use a series of cuts instead of one. You'll need a sharp pruning saw to make three cuts near the base of the branch to reduce injury and fast healing. This 3 Step Method is also called the Jump Cut.
Bark was stripped from this tree trunk when a branch was removed incorrectly.
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Make the first cut under the stem 6 to 12 inches from the main trunk. Only cut halfway through the branch.
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Cut on top of the branch a few inches away from the cut on the underside. Don't cut all the way through.
The last cut is to remove the remaining stub. Cut just above the branch ridge.
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When sawing on the top of the branch, the branch should snap off leaving a notch, or wedge.
When pruned correctly, the cut should heal correctly.
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Safety First
Wear gloves when pruning to protect your hands and for a firm grip.
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Select the right tool for the job.
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- Wear gloves to save your hands and to secure your grip.
- Don't prune plants when they are wet or when its raining as wet tools are difficult to hold onto.
- Use sharp and clean pruning tools.
- Select the correct pruning tool appropriate for the job.
- Place branches away from your work area to avoid tripping.
- Place the debris on tarpaulins to drag to the next plant and for easy disposal.
- Don’t climb trees and shrubs, tempting as it may be. Use a ladder, but have someone hold it and to help you – or hire a professional.
- Don’t remove large limbs without using the 3 step method and don’t do it by yourself.
- Hire a professional for big jobs, for tall trees and if you are overwhelmed. Make sure they are ISA certified and up to date on their workmen's compensation payments. Do your research and check with their previous clients for references.
More on Pruning ......
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