To Prune or Not To Prune
Thursday, April 08, 2021 | The Greenery, Inc.
To prune or not to prune – unfortunately that is not the only question. How much, how little, when, and exactly how? These are also important things to consider before you pull those clippers out and start hacking away like Edward Scissorhands. The best thing to do is consult a professional…and that’s where we come in.
Our trained professionals at The Greenery will first take inventory of the shrubs, plants or trees around the property to decide which pruning route to take. Before any pruning takes place, our specialists will consider the reason the plant needs pruning and what the final goal will be. Also, timing is essential. That’s why its always advantageous to consult a professional before you prune because once the pruning takes place – there isn’t an “undo” button.
CORRECTIVE PRUNING
Corrective pruning helps to control the direction and thickness of a plant, tree or shrub. It’s important to start pruning while plants are young to maintain their natural form and avoid the need for drastic corrective pruning later. Corrective pruning can be an essential way to keep many species of trees, plants and shrubs healthy year round.
One example of corrective pruning is thinning a tree or large shrub to allow light to penetrate the plant more effectively. This will result in a healthier plant and more flowers the following season. If you can’t see the sunlight through the leaves of your tree – that may mean it needs some corrective pruning.
Through the removal of dead or damaged limbs, corrective pruning can allow for trees to continue growing efficiently. Our goal is to improve the structural integrity of the tree leading to a longer, healthier lifespan.
RENEWAL PRUNING
If your property is being swallowed up by overgrown shrubs or you look out the windows of the buildings and only see the ‘back’ of shrubs? Then it sounds like you are in need of ‘renewal or rejuvenation pruning.’
Oftentimes, without proper landscape care, pruning can be overlooked for several years. This can cause some trees and shrubs to become overgrown, weak or even unsafe. When this happens, more drastic pruning is necessary to restore the plant’s health.
Renewal pruning can be done to promote better health, enhance the lifespan, and improve the fruiting and flowering of the plant. However, not all plants will benefit from such drastic pruning. Also the condition of the shrub will affect how it responds. Our trained professionals will identify whether a plant will survive and benefit from renewal pruning before ever making one cut.
To rejuvenate an overgrown shrub, we will generally prune it back to 12” to 24” – depending on the type of shrub. Most shrubs will begin to flush out along the exposed trunks within 6 weeks. And by mid summer, you won’t even remember those exposed ugly branches.
Renewal pruning is time consuming and can generate a lot of debris, however, it is a cost-efficient way to get the look of ‘new’ shrubs on your property. If the plants around your buildings, parks or walkways have become overgrown, renewal pruning is a great solution!
As part of our maintenance program, The Greenery’s trained professionals will examine plants, trees and shrubs on your property each year to determine whether they need pruning. And since almost every plant has a different growth habit – we know the specific method of pruning that will benefit each individual plant.
Don’t wait until it’s too late or your shrubs have been butchered! To confidently answer the why? how? and when? of pruning the plants, trees and shrubs on your property – give us a call today. We would be happy to help with the corrective or rejuvenation of your landscape to make it look more appealing to your customers and patrons!
