Pruning Tips Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-1003 -- More Projects »
The perfect time to prune woody trees and shrubs--in particular, deciduous ones--is a few weeks before the leaves fill in. "Sure, you can prune these plants pretty much anytime during the growing season," says master gardener Paul James, "but in late winter to early spring while the plants are dormant and their skeletal frames are visible, it's much easier to see which branches you want to cut."
James determines which branches to prune by simply standing several feet back from the plant and staring at it. Then, he slowly walks around the plant and ultimately looks deep inside the plant as well. Look for branches that are rubbing against one another, dead wood, suckers and water sprouts. Remove any branches that are growing straight up from the base of the plant with no lateral branches (figure A). James also looks for branches that for one reason or another just don't look like they belong. Finally, prune the plant to create visual strength and character. For example, a 'Chicago Luster' viburnum has several branches rubbing against one another. James selectively prunes away branches, and in the process, cuts back to a lateral branch or all the way back to the base of the plant. Branches that rub against one another--especially during periods of strong winds--may create open wounds, which can become entryways to all kinds of pest and disease problems. Branches that have been in contact for a long period of time allow moisture to collect and can lead to rot problems. James concentrates his efforts on the interior of the shrub rather than the exterior. For instance, he primarily makes thinning cuts rather than heading cuts. "If I were to shear the top growth and cut it way back as many people do, the plant might not look all that great. In fact, it might wind up looking pretty silly." But by making thinning cuts, James is able to maintain the shrub's natural form. Thinning cuts allow more sunlight to reach the interior of the plant, as well as more air circulation, which can greatly reduce the threat of fungal diseases. "I should add that a few selective heading cuts are okay, but try not to get too carried away."
On his Viburnum plicatum 'Summer Snowflake', he notices that a pronounced central leader is beginning to form (figure B). "It makes it look like it's part-tree, part-shrub, and I don't like that look," he says. By making one clean cut, he returns the plant to its more familiar and attractive shrub form.
A mature dogwood tree occupies a prominent spot in James' landscape (figure C). "You may have read, or even heard me say, that you should wait to prune spring flowering trees and shrubs until after they bloom. Well, there's really no botanical reason for doing that. If you prune them before they have a chance to bloom, you'll be pruning away all the blooms. But it's perfectly fine to prune before the blooming period, especially if the tree is loaded with water sprouts (figure D)." Water sprouts are easy to spot. They shoot straight up from the branch in a strange, unnatural sort of way. "I've had a real problem with dogwood anthracnose, a particularly nasty and potentially fatal fungal disease here in my landscape." In fact, in three years, James lost three dogwoods to the deadly disease. So between each pruning cut, James sprays his pruners with a solution of half bleach and half water to prevent the spread of the disease. James says it's better to be safe than sorry, especially since there's no real cure for the disease.
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Figure E
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Figure F
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Figure G
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James prunes off the angled branch along the right side of a dogwood tree in part because it seems to throw off the natural balance of the tree (figure E), and in part because he often hits his head on it. Using a pruning saw, James first makes a cut along the underside of the protruding branch about six inches out from the main branch (figure F). He marks the location, cuts halfway through the branch, then makes a cut just above the previous cut, a few inches closer to the trunk (figure G). "These are critical cuts, because if I were to simply saw where the branch meets the main trunk, the weight of the branch might cause the bark to tear all the way down the trunk." According to James, the cuts relieve the pressure at this critical juncture so that you can make the final cut without worrying about tearing the bark. Don't get too carried away with pruning. After all, pruning only increases maintenance chores in the garden, and heading cuts in particular can lead to a flush of new growth, precisely the type of growth that bugs love. Most plants look best when left to grow the way nature intended them to grow. Finally, try not to remove more than one-third of a plant's top growth each time you prune. More than that may stress the plant beyond the point of recovery. If you do prune spring flowering trees and shrubs weeks before their bloom period, take the cuttings, put them in a vase filled with warm water and set them in a sunny spot in the house. In no time at all you'll have beautiful blooms indoors.
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