Let’s start with the basics. Pruning (often mistaken for trimming) is when you cut away dead or overgrown branches or stems. There are many reasons why pruning the plants located throughout your outdoor area is smart (and necessary). Some of the reasons may surprise you, but some are going to be really obvious. We’ll start with the most obvious one.
Pruning Beautifies Your Garden
Pruning a tree is an equivalent of us getting a haircut. Simply by removing dead or overgrown part you are already enhancing the looks of your bushes and trees. But, pruning does so much more for the physical appearance of your vegetation. It ensures faster growth of certain parts of the plant. It basically allows you to shape it in a way to really compliment the entire surroundings. And, some plants truly let you be as creative in shaping them as you want.
It Reduces Threats To The Environment
This is probably the most important, yet, the most neglected benefit of pruning. Dead branches are prone to falling down under the influence of a heavy storm. Actually, they can fall anytime, under the “right” conditions. This can endanger the installations or objects located near the plant, and even the lives of people passing by. You realize why having professionals regularly inspect your property is a smart thing to do. Not to mention cost-effective. The landscaping experts should be able to identify which parts of the plant should be pruned.
Pruning Enhances The Growth
Carefully pruning your trees and plants secures their healthy growth. It helps strengthen the roots system, as well as to grow the entirely new branches. This gives your vegetation the ability to fight off pests and diseases more efficiently. Also, it helps to better withstand any physical stress that may occur. The best thing to do is to have your plants structurally pruned when they are still young. Let professionals take care of the plants then, and they won’t give you much headache in the future.
Pruning is also extremely beneficial with plants that produce fruits and berries. This activity encourages the plants to grow spurs, which ultimately leads to them producing more fruits and berries. It also helps plants when fighting off the insect.
It Helps With Pest Control
Yes, pruning helps trees and plants be more resilient toward pests. How? When you ensure there are no dead or overgrown parts of a plant, you are making the plant stronger. You are also minimizing the weak areas, that are more easily attacked and damaged by insects and pests. These pests are not that likely to inflict enough damage to kill your vegetation, but they can spread and really reduce the health and appearance of your green area.
OK, now that we’ve covered all the basics, you are probably wondering how and when to prune your plants, right?
Every Plant Is Different
You need to be careful about this. Pruning too little will get you no desired results. On the other hand, pruning too much can seriously damage the plant (even kill it in most extreme cases). That’s why most people have professionals help with pruning their landscape vegetation. The experts will know how to prune just enough in order to get the results, and not to slow down the growth of trees and plants.
Also, when it comes to pruning, every plant is different. Some shouldn’t be pruned much, and yet some require a lot of it. This is also a case when talking about when is the right time to prune your trees and plants. Most of the vegetation should be pruned during the dormant season – usually during October and November. They have enough time to recover from the stress and to grow stronger than before when the spring comes. On the other hand, some plants can be pruned throughout the year, and some even have a specific time during the seasons when you should have someone take care of them.
All of this should be carefully considered when deciding if you should hire a landscaping service to help you with pruning around your yard. Also, after knowing all the facts, you’ll be able to cleverly assess which landscape operator is the best fit for your pruning needs.
