Landscaping adds beauty to any home, but those shrubs, hedges, and trees require maintenance. The two main techniques used to keep greenery looking its best are pruning and trimming. While both terms are used interchangeably, they are different. Pruning usually applies to trees and shrubs, while trimming applies to hedges. Both also have different times for implementation, require different types of equipment, and are done for different reasons. Keep reading for maintenance tips that will keep your trees, shrubs, and hedges looking aesthetically appealing.
Pruning
Pruning involves selectively removing loose or dead branches from the plant. These loose or dead parts of the plant can be harmful not just to itself, but to other plants, and sometimes, even people as well. Dying stubs or branches can leave a plant susceptible to insects or diseases that can spread, so it is important that the plant is pruned correctly.
To remove the dead wood, cut into healthy wood with a sterile blade, and disinfect the blades between each cut. Make your cuts on a slant, at a 45-degree angle, and just above what’s know as the “branch collar.” Water that pools on a flat-topped cut can invite fungus or disease, but cutting on an angle allows rainwater to slide off. The branch collar, which is that ring of bumpy tissue found where the branch and the main trunk meet, is rich with growth cells, so leaving this intact will help your plant recover faster.
Since pruning stimulates the tree, allowing the fruits and flowers to flourish, it should be considered regular maintenance, rather than a correction to neglect. As a general rule, prune spring flowering trees during late June and prune summer flowering trees during the winter or spring months. For best results, use hand pruners, loppers, shears or saws.
Trimming
While pruning is focused on safety and the health of a plant, trimming focuses more on tidying up the appearance. In regards to hedges, formal hedges may need to be trimmed two to three times a year, while informal hedges generally only need to be trimmed once. Trimming should be done in the spring and the fall, since hedges grow the most during these seasons. When it comes to trimming trees, the best time to trim is when the tree is dormant, because it makes it easier to see which branches are healthy and which ones aren’t.
Bark can tear when branches drop off, so to keep this from happening, cut from the bottom of the branch about a third of the way in, and then cut the last bit from the top. Once the branch is gone, you can saw off the remaining stub. Shears can be used for trimming, but electric or gas-powered trimmers will get the job done a little easier and a lot faster.
Stop into Richardson Saw and talk to one of our friendly power equipment experts to help figure out the best tools get the job done right.
