Pruning Your Trees and Shrubs

Pruning is the selective removal of living, dying or dead plant parts to encourage plant health, appearance and/or growth. It can involve either soft-tissue (herbaceous) or woody plants. Pruning can be done anytime during the growing season but is most often performed after the onset of winter weather when the plant has stopped growing.

Generally, pruning is done to remove diseased, damaged, broken, overgrown or otherwise undesirable plant parts. It can also help improve a tree’s structure and form, reduce safety hazards, control crowding and promote light penetration into the landscape.

Trees that are not pruned regularly may develop dead branches that will fall in poor weather, possibly causing property damage or injury to people and pets. Branches that are growing too close to utility lines like electricity and telephone cables pose a serious risk for outages, fire and injury. Pruning can prevent these accidents by eliminating the hazard.

Proper pruning can improve a tree’s appearance and shape, promote fruit production and improve air quality. When done incorrectly, pruning can create a variety of problems such as deformities, improper balance and insect infestation. Pruning can be done at any time of the year but is most often performed in winter when it’s easier to see the work that needs to be done and when the weather is generally more conducive for working outdoors.

Many homeowners try to prune their own trees and shrubs because it can be a relatively low-cost way of improving the landscape. However, it is important to remember that this type of work is dangerous and requires training, knowledge of proper techniques and specialized equipment. Every year, people are injured in landscaping-related accidents due to improper pruning.

Professionals are trained to assess the health of a tree, recommend pruning and perform the work in a safe manner. This can save the homeowner both time and money by preventing unnecessary pruning and reducing the risk of injury.

A good starting point is to use a tape measure to evaluate the size of a branch at breast height or DBH. This is the measurement most commonly used to determine a tree’s size.

Once the DBH is established, it is a good idea to work with a partner and make a dot-tally mark on the Tree Tally Card. This method makes it easier to keep track of the measurements and ensures accuracy.

When pruning a shrub, a branch or a twig it’s best to cut just above a bud that points outward. This stimulates bud development on the portion of the limb to be shortened and results in a natural-looking pruning cut.

Pruning can also help control insects and weeds that are attracted to unhealthy, overgrown or dead plant parts. Using pruners and sharp knives, a skilled landscaper can remove these pests without damaging the healthy portions of the plant. This will also help prevent the spread of disease from one plant to another and, in some cases, to other areas of the yard or home.

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