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2torial
#0900:
Learn2
Prune Bushes and Small
Trees
(Continued)
 Understand
Your Plant's Needs
- A plant's priority in life is to grow and
produce. Its first choice is to grow upwards,
and its second choice is to grow outward. Plants
need the sun and make themselves available to
the sun by stretching towards it. When you cut a
plant back, it'll grow back even faster toward
the sun. A plant gets its energy from the
sunlight on the leaves and buds, and from
circulating air. It also receives energy from
the soil. Soil should not be too wet or too dry.
Mulching helps maintain good soil temperature
and moisture.
- The plant stores its energy in its buds and
nodes, and grows at certain times and rests at
certain times. Although plants are
self-sufficient in the wild, they need your help
in a controlled environment--such as your
backyard.
Get to know your Buds and Nodes
Buds are the teeny closed-up flowers
stuck on the branch, and nodes are buds still
tucked inside the branch. Nodes may look
like little eyes peeping out or look like little
bumps and seams in the branch.
Spend a moment contemplating your branches and
make sure you can identify the buds and nodes. When
you go to prune the tree, you'll always want to cut
above them.
Think of buds as little arrows pointing to where
possible branches will grow. If you cut below a bud
or node, you'll end up with a dead stub--the plant
won't know where to grow and will stop growing.
Unless you think bushes that consist of dead stubs
are attractive, cut above the nodes and buds.
What happens after cutting:
With smaller branches, a cut will signal many
more buds to grow. With larger branches, a new
branch will grow after a cut.
Now that you know why you should prune, you need
to know when to prune.
 Step
2
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