Intro:
Before you begin
Step 1:
Understand your
plant's needs
Step 2:
When to Prune
Step 3:
Rescue Nip-One-One
Step 4:
Thinning
Step 5:
Redirecting
Step 6:
Cope with Headings
Step 7:
Get formal!

2torial #0900: Learn2 Prune Trees and Small Bushes   It's time to nip it in the bud! When you think about the two sayings about Mother Nature: (you can't fool her, and don't mess with her), it's enough to scare most people away from going toward a bush or small tree with a pair of scissors in hand. Not to fear: we'll show you how to tackle the basics of pruning small trees and bushes. Before you know it, you and Mother Nature will be skipping down the garden path hand in hand.  Before you begin The first thing you need to do is understand a plant's energy patterns: they need air and light to keep them happy and healthy. When a plant's branches are too compact, those branches don't receive the air and light they need, and disease starts to appear. Moisture starts sitting on the leaves and bark, and fungus and bacteria take hold. Sound gross? It is. That's why you need to prune. You need to get rid of dead things, sickly stuff and thin out the bushes. You want to ensure that heavy snow or rain can pass through the spaces and not land on the branches. Give the branches some space! Your goal is to help the plant grow and to look great--not to chop down the entire bush with wild abandon. Remember when you were little and trimmed your bangs? Don't make the same mistake. Be conscientious and study your plant before you even pick up the shears. This 2torial teaches you how to prune bushes and the bushy part of small trees over four years old. These steps do not apply to fruit trees--they're in a whole little world of their own--or large trees, which require a completely different cutting technique.     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. When to do it  Catch them when they're sleeping.   Prune your trees and bushes when all the leaves have fallen off and growth is dormant. When the leaves are gone it's easier to see the structure of the plant and check for crowding and balance of the shape.   When the plant is dormant, it's working on it's roots and not paying attention to the limbs above ground.   When is the plant dormant?   Non-growth mode depends on the type of plant and the type of climate you live in. A general rule is to prune in late fall, but if your plant is still in growing stage then you'll freeze the new buds and shoots. You may want to try just before spring, after the frost has gone. In milder climates, the best time may be February or March.    If it's an evergreen, and you live in a colder climate, prune it in the spring. Wait until all threats of frost have passed, however. If you live in a milder climate, go ahead and prune your evergreen any time--they have lots of vigor.    If it's a winter blooming bush the pruning time is spring through summer.   Rescue Nip-One-One It's time to get down and dirty. Your first course of action is to rescue dead bits and broken branches. You can do this anytime of year. At least do this, if nothing else for your plants!   You'll need to make a clean cut, meaning a smooth flush cut. This locks up the cells on the surface and helps protect the interior of the wood.   When making a cut, the blade should be on top of the branch and not under it. Think of the top blade as being a knife which prevents the bark from tearing and gets you close to the trunk of the tree. The bottom part acts as the cutting board and the branch is like a carrot in between the two.   Here's a list of all the bits that should be removed from your plant:   Broken branches Get rid of anything that is broken and has a jagged edge and ripped tissue. When the delicate tissue inside the plant is exposed, it is a festering ground for disease spores and insects. Make clean cuts at the healthy part of the branch at a bud or node.   Dead Things Get rid of anything dead even if it's small. Nature has a way of tidying up after itself and rotting plant attracts insects. The dead debris takes up light and air and blocks out potential new growth that is just waiting for the chance to spring to life. When cutting out dead branches, cut to a live part of the branch following the buds or nodes.   Dead or alive? If you can't tell if it's dead or alive, make a little scratch on the branch with your thumb nail. If it's green, it's alive. If it isn't green, that part is dead. Follow the branch down toward the trunk, and keep trying until you strike green. Cut at the next bud or node or side branch. If the whole branch is dead all the way to the inside of the main branch, make a thinning cut (this is explained later because it's pretty advanced) and check the rest of the plant.   Sick Things: Sick plants also need some care. You'll know your plant is sick if it has: Spots--any type, rusty, fuzzy, orange. Blackness. Dead leaves. Tightly knit cob-web-looking patches on the leaves or the wood of the plant. Spiders moving in and making their home there. If the whole plant shows these signs, yank it up and chuck it out. But if it's just one section of the plant that's sick, you need to treat that area before it spreads. The best way to do it is to cut it off. Always cut into a healthy part of the branch a few inches from the visibly deceased sections. Look at the wood after you cut it to make sure it's all one color and that there's no black rot in it. If there is, make another cut, and keep checking to make sure it's gone. Remember if the branch you are cutting is long, it is best to cut it in half or even thirds so there is not as much weight from the branch.   Branches that rub The non-conformist There's always one branch who grows sideways, crosses over other branches and ends up rubbing against other branches. When two branches run against each other, they'll rub the bark raw, and expose the delicate tissue inside, inviting disease and rot. These need to be cut. Non-conformist branches include the suckers--sprouts that grow directly from the root system or right out of the base of the trunk. Water shoots, that grow mostly on trees and grow straight up out of the trunk or a lateral branch, or branch that sneak in between the main lead and a side shoot or trunk and lateral branch causing a narrow crotch. Think of them as folks who always cut in line. These types of branches steal energy from the rest of the plant. They all require thinning cuts, which is the next step.   Thinning After you perform your nip-one-one treatment, you can start tackling the big boys. The more often you thin the less work for you in the long run,   Your goal is open up a bush so enough sunlight can get in the middle and enable new life to grow. To do this, you're going to start chopping off whole branches. Which branches can you chop? As mentioned in Step 3; branches that rub, grow straight out or otherwise follow no established rules, need to be eliminated. Very old branches can go as well--just don't remove more than two or three a year (it might damage your plant). Pick the branch that needs to be cut, follow that branch all the way to the central lead and cut it off at the joint. Place the blade on the top, and avoid cutting the collar. The collar is a section of the branch that separates the trunk from the branch and protects the main plant. Think of cutting the collar as cutting your toenail too short.   Know your styles of bush growth Knowing how your bush is growing helps you determine what you should or should not cut. Central leasing branch This is when many branches are coming out of one main trunk. When cutting this type of bush, double check that you've gotten rid of all your sneak branches. (See Step 3). When cutting the central leading branch choose an older looking big branch to remove. Many branches coming out of the ground style Take a look and see where the branches seem too bunched up. Squeeze your sheers in there and cut one or two branches as close to the ground as you can. This will create a stub, which will die out. Pull out that entire branch, and check to make sure no other crowding branches are there. Work on your nips and buds. Don't worry if there is a big hole in the bush after you remove a branch--soon little branches will come in and fill up the space. Don't get too carried away: Step back frequently, study your work and see what needs to go. When in doubt, don't cut. Go away and come back to take another look. Redirecting Sometimes branches need a little redirection. If you want less growth in a section of the bush because of a fence or walkway, and would like the bush to grow up instead of out, use a redirecting cut. The energy of a plant is like that of a mailman: it will just keep going as long as there's something to deliver somewhere. The energy flow won't stop to create something new if there is an alternative detour available. Even if there's just a leaf left where you cut, this step will still work--the leaf has a hidden bud under it that will shoot out and lead the way. When you redirect a plant's growth, you're simply asking it to deliver its branch elsewhere. Cut at an upward angle and chop as close as you can to the collar of the tree branch, making sure there's at least a leaf left where you cut. Once you see what you like, you're ready to start getting fancy.   Cope with Headings Cope with headings The rabbit effect When you want your bushes bushier or a bushier effect of branches, you'll want to use this technique. Locate a tip of a branch with its buds on the end of it. Chop it off a few inches down from the very tip. Many, many tips will sprout forth from where that one tip used to be. Dead heading: the same as a heading, but specifically for flowering plants. When a flower is blooming, it's in its glory. When it begins to die, it needs to be chopped off. Don't let flowers die in disgrace. When you chop off the dying flower, the plant will automatically start sending energy to start making a brand new flower at the new bud loaction. If you keep this up during blooming season, your bush will be covered in blossoms. Cut down a few buds below the dying flower. This gives the whole branch a boast by capturing it in a strong energy flow. Flowering bushes are unshaped for the most part, and dead headings combined with thinning keeps them under control and with enough light and air to grow healthily.   Get Formal! Formal hedges are the ones that are perfectly shaped. They're the ones you can usually find in the yard of avid gardener or on estates of people who pay someone to come and maintain them--because they need lots of maintaining. Most formal hedges are evergreens as well, and they require year round maintenance. They're superficial! Formal headings need constant heading of the tips. Constant heading creates a hollow center without light and air--which is a cause of disease. Formal hedges look good but deep down, they're damaged. Technique: Think gumdrops. When trimming formal hedges, keep in mind that the sun shines from above, so the top of a bush will shade the bottom. To work with this condition, shape the bushes a little wider at the bottom. To create formal hedges, first prune the bush. Do a few thinning cuts on the top of the bush. Each time you do it you'll need to do more thinning cuts at the top. And each time you cut, there should be more growth inside the next section of the bush. Cut into the bush at this new growth and within a few weeks you'll have new green growth. You'll have to trim that new growth! Use shearing shears, which look like giant scissors. Walk around your bushes and cut off the new green growth, or halfway into the new growth until everything looks even. Now it's time for you to sit back and relax in your garden, with the lovely view of your perfectly pruned trees. -end- Learn More!