Pruning landscape trees and bushes in March while they're still dormant boosts their appearance, health and structure.
Work done before leaves bud out promotes quicker healing, greatly reducing fatal diseases brought by late spring tree boring insects.
A good rule of thumb is to prune first for safety, second for health, and lastly for aesthetics, which is also the cost effective way to maintain trees.
And the sooner the better - if you wait 15 years, pruning may no longer be an option.
Always prune hardwood trees and shrubs without showy flowers in the dormant season.
Prune flowering trees and shrubs that flower in the summer or fall during the dormant season too.
However trees and shrubs that flower in early spring should be pruned immediately after flowering.
Pruning evergreens any time of year is OK to do, but doing so during the dormant season minimizes sap and resin flow from cut branches.
Bleeding (sap flow from fresh cuts) won't harm landscaping unless it's excessive - tree sap, gum's, and resins are natural barriers to infections and promote healing.
It's important to rid the tree of structural defects, particularly when they're small: => Look for branches rubbing against one another; one of them needs to be eliminated.
=> Remove multiple or co-dominant stems (sometimes called leaders) ends up bare new growth will quickly fill in the bare spots.
=> Lop off the suckers growing around the trunk and sprouts from lateral branches; they rob energy from the rest of the tree.
=> Inspect trees for broken or dead limbs, sometimes indicated by peeling bark.
Younger trees are easier to "train": prune branches connected to the trunk in a tight V-shaped angle (arborists call them crotches) should be removed because they are vulnerable to splitting.
Favor branches with 'U' or 'L'-shaped angles of attachment - they strengthen with each season.
Try to evenly space lateral branches on the main stem of young trees, but make sure these lateral branches are no more than 1/2 to 3/4 of the diameter of the tree stem to discourage any co-dominant stems from developing.
For small branches, choose a by-pass hand pruner rather than an anvil style.
With a curved cutting blade that slides past a broader lower blade, like a scissors, this hand pruner 'by-passes' unnecessary tearing or crushing of the weaker tissues of smaller branches.
Use lopping shears for branches up to 7 cm in diameter or small pruning saws (up to 10 cm) due to their larger cutting surfaces and greater leverage.
Of course the best advice is to avoid these larger branches in the first place and to prune them when they're small.
It's always smart to keep tree pruning tools sharp and in good working condition.
Clean and sanitize by immersing in 70% denatured alcohol or liquid household bleach with a ratio of 1:9 (bleach to water) for a couple of minutes.
For a comprehensive manual on pruning trees, visit the federal government's Web site on pruning trees.
Work done before leaves bud out promotes quicker healing, greatly reducing fatal diseases brought by late spring tree boring insects.
A good rule of thumb is to prune first for safety, second for health, and lastly for aesthetics, which is also the cost effective way to maintain trees.
And the sooner the better - if you wait 15 years, pruning may no longer be an option.
Always prune hardwood trees and shrubs without showy flowers in the dormant season.
Prune flowering trees and shrubs that flower in the summer or fall during the dormant season too.
However trees and shrubs that flower in early spring should be pruned immediately after flowering.
Pruning evergreens any time of year is OK to do, but doing so during the dormant season minimizes sap and resin flow from cut branches.
Bleeding (sap flow from fresh cuts) won't harm landscaping unless it's excessive - tree sap, gum's, and resins are natural barriers to infections and promote healing.
It's important to rid the tree of structural defects, particularly when they're small: => Look for branches rubbing against one another; one of them needs to be eliminated.
=> Remove multiple or co-dominant stems (sometimes called leaders) ends up bare new growth will quickly fill in the bare spots.
=> Lop off the suckers growing around the trunk and sprouts from lateral branches; they rob energy from the rest of the tree.
=> Inspect trees for broken or dead limbs, sometimes indicated by peeling bark.
Younger trees are easier to "train": prune branches connected to the trunk in a tight V-shaped angle (arborists call them crotches) should be removed because they are vulnerable to splitting.
Favor branches with 'U' or 'L'-shaped angles of attachment - they strengthen with each season.
Try to evenly space lateral branches on the main stem of young trees, but make sure these lateral branches are no more than 1/2 to 3/4 of the diameter of the tree stem to discourage any co-dominant stems from developing.
For small branches, choose a by-pass hand pruner rather than an anvil style.
With a curved cutting blade that slides past a broader lower blade, like a scissors, this hand pruner 'by-passes' unnecessary tearing or crushing of the weaker tissues of smaller branches.
Use lopping shears for branches up to 7 cm in diameter or small pruning saws (up to 10 cm) due to their larger cutting surfaces and greater leverage.
Of course the best advice is to avoid these larger branches in the first place and to prune them when they're small.
It's always smart to keep tree pruning tools sharp and in good working condition.
Clean and sanitize by immersing in 70% denatured alcohol or liquid household bleach with a ratio of 1:9 (bleach to water) for a couple of minutes.
For a comprehensive manual on pruning trees, visit the federal government's Web site on pruning trees.
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