Pruning is one of those gardening issue that has an air of closed book about it . Whenis the best time to prune trees?Whydo you clip them ? Andhowshould you do it ? singular gardener want to roll in the hay . Here are the basics .
When to Prune
February and March are in the main considered the best clip to cut back trees in the North . The weather is still cool enough that the trees are in their dormant state and they will have time to repair any wound during the spring . yield our erratic springs of the retiring few years , it might be good not to wait too late into March to do pruning . A warmish , sunny day is idealistic pruning weather .
Late winter is prime pruning time.
WhyPrune
The goal of pruning is to keep your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree goodly and shapely , to advertize flowering and fruit and to keep your neighbor safe from falling offset , obstruct views and other hazards .
How to Prune
This depends on the tree . Some flowering shrubs like lilac , for example , should be pruned after flowering . mostly , the first stride in all pruning is to remove any potential problems . First , look for and get rid of the three Ds : dead , diseased or damaged branches . You will also desire to take any branches that crisscross or itch together , stray stubs on the tree from retiring pruning , “ water system spout ” that shoot directly up toward the sky and those suckering branches come from the base of the tree diagram . If you are going for a foresighted proboscis , you may want to remove branches below a certain layer .
After that , the goal is to shape the tree diagram . Consider where the master outgrowth should be and what the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ’s innate shape is , whether vase , upright or spreading . TheUniversity of Minnesota Extension Servicehas ahelpful fact sheetwith drawings showing where to make cuts and how . Overall , you do not need to shorten more than about one - third out of a tree you are clip . And , it ’s not a upright approximation , for either health or esthetic , to “ top ” a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . Topping involves cutting branch from the lead leg and around the top , like you are giving it a haircut .
A Few Warnings
Never rationalise near electric or utility lines . Let your urban center have a go at it if trees near power melody demand dress . Be aware of your own limits . I prune all of my small trees myself using several type of ring road pruners and a pruning adage . For trees that demand tall ladder and have large branches , I call in a pro .
Mary Lahr Schier is a longtime Minnesota garden writer . Her internet site ismynortherngarden.com .
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