......Pruning

Outdoor gardening is so much easier when you know how.
Outdoor gardening is much more enjoyable when you
know a few secrets.

Much of the enjoyment of outdoor gardening comes from
the care and proper maintenance of the garden.

Not many plants will look their best without some help, and
pruning is one of these techniques considered essential to
outdoor gardening if plants are to flower and fruit well, and
to keep pests and diseases at bay.

For those inexperienced in outdoor gardening, pruning can
often be a reason for concern.
Questions may arise, such as when is the best time to
prune, and how, and where.

We prune our trees and shrubs mainly to increase
flowering and fruiting, to control diseases, or to change the
size or shape of the plant.

Some shrubs such as Forsythia need an annual prune of
their older wood to help maintain vigor and to produce new
flowering shoots.
These new shoots are produced from the base of the plant.
If Forsythia was left un pruned it could soon become
overcrowded, allowing little room for new shoots to grow
and flower.
I recommend that after flowering each year you cut out a
good quarter to one third of the old wood around the base
of the shrub.

A number of shrubs can be encouraged through pruning to
develop larger foliage with no flowers.
This is usually done in late winter or early spring.
The shrub is either cut back to the ground, or cut back very
hard whilst removing dead wood and twigs.

Some trees are suitable for this type of pruning, and this
can totally change the appearance of these plants.

Ornamental fruit trees will produce much more flowers and
fruit when pruned correctly.
As a rough guide for outdoor gardening the plants that
flower early in the season should be pruned as soon as
flowering has finished,whilst late flowering shrubs can be
done at the beginning of the growing season.

Many shrubs are grown for the color of their stems, and will
need to be pruned at frequent intervals if the color is to be
kept.
A technique called "coppicing" where the shrub is pruned
hard close to the ground is usually involved.

Coppicing is also used for the production of wood suitable
for fencing.
In outdoor gardening however, it is used most often to
stimulate fresh new growth in the colorful stems of trees
and shrubs.
The shape of trees and shrubs in the outdoor garden can
be changed by pruning and crossing branches that are
close together.
The object here is to construct a natural open shape so that
air can circulate freely.

If some of your older shrubs are getting a bit woody and
ugly you could try cutting the plant back hard whilst trying
to keep some leaves on the lower branches, before
deciding to pull them up.
It's worth giving the plant a feed and mulch at this time too.

What pruning tools will you need for outdoor gardening?

For outdoor gardening you will need secateurs for soft
shoots and small branches, or loppers for branches that
are too thick to be cut with secateurs, and a saw for even
bigger branches.
Always use good quality tools and make sure they are
sharp.

It is essential to the health of your plants that you prune
correctly.
Cut out all diseased, weak and dead growth.
Always cut back to healthy wood, free from the staining of
infected tissue.
Generally when pruning cuts are made on trees and
shrubs it should be made to a bud, which will then grow
away without leaving a dead stump.
You should choose a bud that is facing the direction you
want the branch to grow away to, then make a slanting cut
about 2 inches above the bud.
If the plant has opposing buds, then cut straight across.

A good tip for creating cleaner, easier cuts on lighter stems
and branches with secateurs is to hold the stem in your
free hand and bend it slightly with light pressure before
cutting.
To remove a branch from a shrub or tree, you first need to
cut the branch back to about a foot from the trunk. This will
help to prevent the branch tearing.
Don't however cut the remaining stub flush with the trunk,
but leave a small swelling which can heal on its own.
Pare off ragged parts left on sawn surfaces.

Collect all your prunings and compost them if soft and
healthy, but burn them if woody or diseased.

Enjoy your outdoor gardening by pruning successfully.
Make the right cut to improve your outdoor gardening
skills.