Natural Pruning of Trees and Shrubs
Yes, it’s that time of year again. Those shrubs around your yard are looking pretty ragged. Unlike your lawn which has to be cut every week, shrub pruning in New Hampshire only has to be done once a year. That’s a good thing! Now, what if I told you there is a way to keep your shrubs looking good without that hideous late-summer display of growth?
Natural pruning works with the way plants grow. Every tree and shrub grows differently. There is a natural branching pattern that gives a unique form to each variety of plant.
While shearing is an affordable option for trimming shrubs, it has a few drawbacks. Shearing can deform the plant, creating thick knobs of growth on the outside, while everything inside the “shell” dies. Wherever you make a cut is where new growth will come out. This is the natural law pruning. When sheared, the plant will respond by sending three more to take its place – thus guaranteeing you will be back in one year the buzz them off again.
Natural pruning (also called “hand pruning”) involves making interior cuts selectively, and restoring the balance of growth to the interior of the plant. When the shrub is opened up, it allows airflow through and inhibits insects and disease from settling in. Obviously, natural pruning takes more time, and – at least for the first couple of years – is going to cost a bit more than shearing. But eventually the flush of growth slows down, and you may even be able to skip a year in between pruning!
At Trimmers Landscaping we are pruning professionals. We like to see plants in their natural state. If you must prune your plants, please get a pair of bypass pruners and begin snipping out branches that are overgrown. You may not be able to do it all in one day, but a little bit at a time in your yard will get under control.
Or if you prefer, hire our pruning crew for a year to renovate your overgrown plants. We can work with your budget by pruning only selected plants; or using a combination of thinning and shearing techniques to produce natural effect over time.
