Dr. Grow: Proper pruning protects your shrubs and trees

Thinning-out a tree by removing its branches of the point of origin.

The importance of correct pruning techniques cannot be overemphasized. Plants pruned improperly suffer from increased disease infections, insect infestation, and are more susceptible to wind damage. They quite often are misshapen and lose their aesthetic appeal.

Most people think of shearing when the word pruning is mentioned. Shearing is the nonselective cutting of small branches so that a plant looks like it got a buzz at the barbershop. More often than not, yews and boxwoods are pruned in this manner so the shrubs look like round balls or cubes.

If plants are sheared, they must be done annually and must be started when the plant is small. If you skip a year or two, the shrubs can get too large, and shearing is no longer an option.

Pruning an overgrown yew or boxwood can be tricky. Do not cut back the shrub past green foliage. If you do, the likely result will be the shrub's mortality.

Shrubs such as lilac, forsythia, an deprive are often allowed to grow several years without pruning. They will have a tendency to look unkempt after several years. You can improve their looks and increase their vigor by performing a rejuvenation pruning. Simply cut one third of the stems down to the ground each year for three years. At the end of the third year, you will have a nice looking, vigorously growing shrub that you can be proud of.

Selective pruning is probably the way most shrubs and trees should be pruned. By carefully selecting the branches you are going to remove, your shrub or tree will be reduced in size while maintaining the natural look of the plant. A line drawing accompanies this article so that you can see what I am talking about.

The selection of tools to use is very important. Shears will cut smaller branches very easily. This tool is used when you want to prune yews and boxwoods into cubes, round balls, and other forms.

When you want to prune larger limbs, use either a bypass hand pruner or a lopper. These tools will give you a good clean cut very quickly.

When you need to remove larger limbs, especially tree limbs, the tool of choice is a pruning saw. The saws on the market that are "pull-only" saws with larger teeth will cut stems rapidly and very cleanly. They will last a long time if you use them properly. Only apply pressure to the saw when pulling the blade towards you. If you apply pressure while pushing the blade away form you, the blade will break easily.

When using a pruning saw on tree limbs, make three separate cuts on the limb so that the falling branch will not tear away from the stem and result in damage to the tree trunk. Make the first cut underneath the limb about 3 inches away from the stem. Cut into the branch about one third of the diameter. Make the next cut from the top of the branch about two inches farther out on the branch. This time cut all the way through the branch. Finally make a third cut to remove the resulting stub next to the stem just outside the branch collar swelling.

The last thing to do after pruning is to paint the pruned area with a pruning sealer. This sealer will help reduce the chance of insect infestation or disease infection. The sealer will also slow down any wound bleeding. Repeat the sealer application two or three times in the next year or two.