The importance of pruning

Pruning helps you control the overall size, shape and density of your plants. Proper pruning promotes flowering, fruit production and renewal. It allows air and sunlight to reach the plant’s interior, boosting the plant’s overall health and protecting it from disease.

But pruning should be done only when necessary – some plants don’t require pruning. Unnecessary pruning will cause the plant to focus on healing instead of growing, and it can shorten the plant’s lifespan and can make the plant susceptible to disease.

Why the plant habitat matters

Although pruning can revive a plant, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution and will not always produce the desired result. Spindly or excessively long annual growth can be due to an incorrect planting location that is too dark, sunny, dry or wet. The soil may not provide enough nutrients, or surrounding plants might be absorbing all of them.

How to prune your garden

It’s better to prune your plants lightly rather than remove too much material at once. If you are pruning your garden for the first time, proceed gradually. Study your plants over time and see how each variety reacts to pruning.

When plants are pruned lightly, they recover from the pruning more easily and continue to look healthy. The recommendation is to not prune more than a third of the mass of the crown at a time. The crown is the part of the plant that extends from the trunk or main stems with branches and leaves. Primarily, ensure that the surface at the cutting point is even and neat after the pruning.

It’s good to keep in mind that a plant should always be pruned so that its natural way of growth remains. The way of growth can be determined by observing what an adult plant looks like and by studying the variety. Sometimes plants have been planted in an inappropriate place where they don’t have space for their natural way of growth and must be trimmed frequently.

Three pruning tips for first timers:

• Always ensure the surface at the cutting point is even and neat. Use sharp tools that are right for the job.
• Avoid over-pruning. Never prune more than one-third of the plant’s mass at a time.
• Get to know your plants. Prune them based on their natural way of growth.

Choosing the right pruning and trimming tools

• Garden snips: Perfect for flowers and herbs.
• Pruners: Suitable for branches and stems thinner than one’s thumb.
• Tree pruners: Suitable for branches thinner than one’s wrist and hard-to-reach branches.
• Loppers: Suitable for branches thinner than one’s wrist and hard-to-reach branches.
• Hedge shears: Ideal for trimming hedges.
• Pruning saws: Suitable for branches thicker than one’s wrist.