A little maintenance goes a long way in maintaining long-living, healthy plants that bloom and fill in successfully. Pruning is one practice that greatly helps your flower beds and creates an inviting place to stroll.
Pruning your trees and shrubs can be a daunting task! The benefits far outweigh the time spent, however. Your trees and shrubs need to be pruned for many reasons, including health benefits and longevity.
Some of these benefits to seasonal pruning include:
- Improving fruitfulness and growth – cutting away dead or damaged stems and limbs makes way for new growth, fuller blooms, and can instantly improve the health of your plants and shrubs.
- Preventing disease or pests from ravaging your plants or shrubs – pests are opportunists, and will begin to infest the weakest or damaged parts of a plant. By removing dead or damaged limbs, you can help to ensure that your trees will remain healthy and strong.
- Protecting your home and property from damage – regular maintenance to large shrubs includes pruning away dead branches. In general, you want to keep your plants at least 6-12 inches from your home’s exterior to prevent water or pests from transferring from the branches.
- Providing instant curb appeal – a well-maintained yard just looks better! In just a few seasons plants can begin to grow wild and can become an eyesore in the neighborhood.
There are also several methods of pruning, some of which are more involved than most homeowners are able or willing to do on their own. This can be due to not having the right tools, or not having the knowledge of how to use these techniques effectively on varying types of plants.
An expert landscaper can help you with the following methods of pruning:
- Thinning – this method selectively removes branches to increase the concentration of nutrients in healthier parts of the plant. It produces fuller blooms and helps to retain the plant’s natural shape.
- Heading – this method reduces the top of the plant or shrub to maintain a limited height.
- Reduction – this method reduces the size of a plant or shrub. Reduction helps to maintain form and structural integrity.
- Cleaning – this method removes dead and dying, diseased, crowded, and weak branches from the crown of a tree.
A professional will also know how to make the proper type of pruning cuts in order to sustain the life of your trees and shrubs, as well as knowing where it is appropriate to make these cuts to prevent long-term damage. One must be cautious not to over-prune to not over-stress or kill the plant.
Note, seasonal timing of pruning is very important and plant-specific. Cool weather is generally a safe time to prune spring and summer blooming plants. Chesapeake Landscapes has the knowledge and expertise to help you with your pruning needs, as well as landscape design, mowing, cleanup, and hardscape projects. We serve Harford, Baltimore and Cecil Counties of Maryland.
Schedule an appointment with a designer and get your home ready to enjoy and entertain in the beautiful outdoors – they will be here before you know it!