THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 12, 1995 TAG: 9503130199
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G16 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: WEEDER'S DIGEST
SOURCE: BY ROBERT STIFFLER, GARDENING COLUMNIST
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines
MANY HOMEOWNERS grab a pair of pruning shears in haste once a year, usually to fight back against an overgrown shrub.
That's not the way to properly prune. On the other hand, pruning with a specific plan or design is not so complex that it need be left to professionals. It can easily be done by the homeowner.
Pruning techniques are important for more than just formal hedges or exotic topiary shapes. Nearly all landscape plants benefit from judicious pruning. Some absolutely require it to maintain healthy, steady growth. This is especially true of plants that bloom or bear fruit. Pruning is also essential for newly planted trees.
Proper pruning directs the growth of plants, giving you control over their shape and size. It's like being your own exterior decorator. Well-pruned plants not only look their best, they tend to be healthier and more resistant to drought, disease and insects than those which have been allowed to grow unchecked.
For beginners, the most important questions are what, where, when and how to cut. Here are some basic guidelines from Ames Lawn & Garden Tools.
Trees and shrubs are pruned to increase the density or thickness of the plants, making them sturdier and keeping their size in bounds. This is called ``heading back.''
Removing interior branches, or ``thinning,'' opens up the plant to more light and air circulation. Thinning is often needed to admit light to areas of lawn under trees.
Pruning is essential for newly planted trees to balance the top growth with the root system, which may have been damaged in shipping. As a general rule, you should remove one third of the top growth after planting a tree. Also remove whiplike suckers and watersprouts.
Be aware, however, that many mail-order trees are shipped trimmed. The literature will tell you that, so read it and do not prune such trees if shipping instructions say the tree has been trimmed, ready for planting.
Any dead, diseased or damaged wood should be removed. If you want a tree you can walk under in later years, cut off low-growing or downward pointing branches.
When hedges have been left untended for some years, they tend to get thin and scraggly. According to experts at Ames, any hedges, including privet, yew and boxwood, can be rejuvenated by pruning them down to 6-inch stumps in the spring. Feed and water them liberally, and they'll soon sprout dense new growth.
Flowering shrubs such as forsythia and climbing roses can be given new life by pruning out much of the old growth to the ground after the plant has bloomed. When pruning hedges for shape, prune narrower at the top to allow sunlight to reach the bottom foliage. Hand pruners are best for this job.
Unless you need to remove large limbs, hand pruners are satisfactory for most jobs, because they can be used on wood up to 3/4-inch thick.
There are two types of pruners. Bypass pruners have one sharpened blade that overlaps another when making the cut, much like scissors. Anvil pruners have a sharpened blade that closes down onto a flat anvil. Kept sharp and used properly, bypass pruners give the closest cut, with usually the least damage to the plant.
Whatever type pruner you choose, always buy the best quality tool you can find - one that will maintain its strength and sharp edge over the years. Cheap tools may only last one season before they rust and need replacing.
As buds on plants branch out, they develop stems and leaves. Cut a side bud that points in the direction in which you want the new branch to grow. If you cut off the terminal end bud, the nearest lateral bud will become the new terminal bud. When cutting the end of a branch, cut at a slant in the direction you want new growth to grow. Always cut as close and cleanly as possibly, trying not to leave a stub.
By following a few basics, pruning is simple. Now is the time to prune many plants. For a free Ames Basic Pruning Guide, send a self-addressed, No. 10 stamped envelope to Ames Pruning Guide, Box 1774, Parkersburg, W. Va. 26102. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
WHEN TO PRUNE
Prune out dead or diseased wood any time of year.
Prune flowering shrubs such as forsythia, honeysuckle, azaleas,
rhododendron and mountain laurel after they bloom.
Rejuvenate hedges by cutting back hard in April. The time to
maintain shape is May and June.
Prune most established trees in late winter or early spring while
dormant. Maples, beech, birch and walnut tend to bleed when cut, so
they are better pruned in late summer or early fall when sap flows
less freely.
Prune new trees right after planting.
by CNB