Pruning With A Passion - How To Know When To Do It

If you your plants are taking over your home or your garden it may be time to prune. There are some general techniques for pruning and then there are specific techniques for the types of plants, shrubs, or trees that require pruning.

When you want your plant to grow in a particular direction, size or shape you want to prune it. Some reasons that people prune trees, shrubs, or an indoor plant is to repair any damage they may have incurred, or change the size and direction of the plant. Remember that where you prune your plant will produce different results.

Those of you who grow indoor plants know their fundamental requirements. Plants need light, water, air, soil, and fertilizer in order to flourish. Pruning is also another important need for indoor plants. When your plants begin to look awkward, untidy, and too large for the space you have selected this is an indication it is time to prune your plants.

Many people do not like to prune their plants because either they do not want to cut them or they do not know how to prune them. There are three types of pruning:

Pinching your plants is a routine and simple from of pruning. When you see new growth on the end of a branch, pinch it off. When you do this, you force the dormant side buds to grow. You can also pinch the side buds. With this technique, you can direct their growth keeping them compact and full.

Softwood pruning consists of removing part of the soft; leaf carrying stems and is a bit more severe than pinching. With this method, you pinch a portion of the steam itself, rather than just the new growth at the tip. You can use this technique if your plants have become too large for the space or may be heavy on one side.

Hardwood pruning is typically the last technique used to save a plant and is the most severe from of pruning. With this technique, you cut back the entire small, softwood branches leaving the leafless, main hard stems intact. With this technique, it is as if you are giving your houseplant a chance to start over.

If you want to prune to minimize lots of new growth, you can selectively prune (thinning) your plants. Taking a branch off where it starts will leave other branches with terminal buds that help keep the new growth natural in style. This is an effective technique for shrubs and trees.

If you are looking to stimulate a lot of new shoots and branching you may consider heading which is removing a significant part of each branch frequently just above a bud, which will leave stubs. When you do this, you will develop dormant and lateral buds just below the cuts. Be careful using this technique that you do not create an unnatural or unhealthy looking plant.

In order to create a lot of new growth on the outside edges of the plant, you should shear your plant. This entails the removal of a small amount of the ends of all the outer branches. When you do this, you will most likely remove most of the terminal buds. Use this technique for formal hedging.

Before you begin pruning you want to find out the natural growth pattern of your plant and work with the natural form of your plant instead of against it. While plants are for the most part flexible you will save yourself frustration by trying to make the plant conform to a look that is not its natural form or shape.

There are many different styles of pruners available for indoor or outdoor pruning. They come with handles that are either long (called loppers) or short (called shears). You can also find pruners that mount on a pole that will extend your reach. Pruners come with different types of blades that you use for different types of plants. Choosing the right type of pruners may seem overwhelming and if you need assistance, you can ask the salesperson at your local nursery or garden center. Remember to keep your pruners sharp and clean and away from children.