Exploring Ideas: Designing Outdoor Living Spaces
Trees and shrubs don’t just offer greeneries but they can also serve as a boundary between adjoining properties. Aside from that, they can be a barrier too, for keeping stray animals from entering your property or add to the overall appearance to your property. Without proper care and pruning, they can become an eyesore or worse, pose a risk to your property and family. Most people don’t recognize the need for pruning until spring and summer, so why should you consider it now?
Winter Pruning
In the forest, trees and shrubs are free to grow in whatever directions — they can grow or stretch their branches in all shapes and forms. While we want our trees and shrubs to look natural, we also need to make sure that they don’t become a threat to our safety. That is where pruning helps. Pruning is a method done that allows you to selectively remove branches from a tree. Shrubs also need to be pruned to improve their appearance and to make room for new, healthy growth. As for trees, unwanted branches can be removed to give them proper structure and to eliminate fall risks on homes or other parts of the property, potentially damaging vehicles or other plants.
There are two types of pruning – selective and rejuvenation. Selective means you select certain branches for a good reason, while rejuvenation means the extreme cutting back of overgrown shrubs and trees. When pruning, you get rid of dead or damaged branches, trim trees and shrubs to grow on your terms and give them a clean, polished look. However, pruning trees and shrubs may require a certain time and season. For example, most people believe that pruning should be done during the summer and fall season but definitely not winter. Yes, these seasons are good, but some trees and shrubs can benefit from winter pruning. After all, pruning in winter can revitalize trees and shrubs so they can grow strong and healthy just in time for spring.
Plus, when it is winter, trees and shrubs are still dormant. After the leaves have dropped, it would be easier for you to see the entire structure of the trees and shrubs. As a result, you can identify the dead and dangerous branches easily. Here is a winter pruning guide for trees and shrubs:
- Choose the day of pruning. Prune on a mild, dry day. This is not just advisable for you because it keeps you comfortable working but it can also prevent water-borne plant diseases from spreading.
- Never prune too early. When you prune in winter, do it at the right time or else, the incision can dry out especially if the cold temperature extremely drops.
- Prune out the dead and diseased branches first before you prune the others.
- Increase light and air by removing overgrown branches.
- If there are unwanted lower branches, remove them during late winter.
Pruning trees and shrubs play an important part in making sure that they are healthy and ready for the next season while also maintaining the safety of your property. If you have any questions on pruning for trees and shrubs contact us at Campbell & Ferrara.
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