The Benefits of Pruning Your Landscape Plants

Pruning is the selective removal of living, dead or diseased plant parts such as branches, buds, leaves, blooms and roots. It can improve the appearance of your landscape and enhance the health, value and safety of your property. When done properly, pruning also helps to prevent damage during storms and severe weather.

Trees are important to the environment, providing habitat for wildlife and helping to reduce greenhouse gases by sequestering carbon. A well-maintained tree not only looks good, it can increase property values as well as improve streetscapes and community aesthetics. Pruning is a key element of maintenance for most landscape plants as it can help to promote proper growth patterns, maintain plant health and structure, control the spread of disease and manage growth and size.

Often, overgrown plants need to be pruned back to restore their natural shape and form a better framework for growing new foliage. This is especially important with larger trees where the structure needs to be reinforced. Pruning will also remove dead or dying branches and limbs which may be a potential hazard to people, vehicles or structures below the plant.

Plants that produce flowers, such as azalea, rhododendron, mountain laurel and many deciduous shrubs, should be pruned in late winter or early spring before the start of their growing season. This will help to ensure that any new growth will have time to mature before the onset of summer heat and drought stress which can lead to reduced flower production.

In addition, some plants, such as figs, ficus, poinsettias and aglaonema, should be pruned periodically to encourage branch vigor and plant rejuvenation. When pruned, these plants will respond by producing more vigorous and vibrant new growth which results in a more compact and healthy plant.

The most obvious benefit of pruning is that it can greatly enhance the appearance of your landscape. It can remove unsightly and unhealthy growth, open up the view of your home, improve traffic visibility and decrease safety hazards by eliminating limbs that hang over sidewalks, roads or power lines. Pruning can also help to prevent limbs from falling and damaging your home during storms or during periods of high wind.

When doing your own pruning, it is important to make sure that you use safe practices and sharp tools. Always make your cuts in a slow and deliberate manner to avoid damage to the plant. When shortening a branch or twig, be sure to cut just above a bud or growing point. This will give the plant the best chance of quickly closing a pruning wound with little or no decay. Avoid making flush cuts, as these will cut into the actual growth layer of the plant and reduce its ability to heal. Also, never leave a stub end on any plant material because it is more susceptible to insect and disease problems. Always clean and oil your pruning tools regularly to minimize the risk of injury and infection.

from Treby Tree Services https://trebytreeservices.wordpress.com/2024/05/05/the-benefits-of-pruning-your-landscape-plants/