In trees with heavy foliage, pruning the crown allows air circulation and for sunlight to touch all the parts of the tree, thus stimulating new growth. Sometimes a tree has to be pruned to reduce the height. Possibly the lower branches are too low. These can be pruned, such that though they are cut off, the shape and size of the tree remain intact.

There might be branches that cross and grow back to the centre of the tree. These will have to be pruned to give way for the other branches to grow out straight. When pruning is done in the formative years of the plant, there is less chance for the plant becoming diseased. It is wise to remember that the pruning of trees should be done by experts, because it is important which branches are being cut. The structural strength of the tree which lies in the trunk or the main stem should not be compromised. Stems have nodes.

This is the point from which the branches grow. There is a small piece of tissue called a stem collar which grows out from the stem at the point where the branch grows out. Pruning is done on the branch side of this stem collar, thus protecting the stem so that all the other branches growing out from it are not affected.

Shrubs need to be pruned regularly to remove the dead or diseased branches. Importantly, pruning increases the quality and yield of the flowers and fruits. It also enhances the structural strength of the plants. Shrubs which form hedges have to be regularly pruned to maintain their shape and so that the foliage grows out densely. It is important to know when best to prune your plants, especially the flowering shrubs. A thumb rule for pruning flowering shrubs is after they have finished blooming and before the winter sets in. Flowers have a lot of energy which they use in the formation of seeds. If the flowers are de-headed as soon as they finish blooming, then all this energy remains in the plant and is used to grow stronger to get ready for the next flowering season.

De-heading is essential in plants like the Hydrangea and lilac, which bear clusters of flowers. If you have bare root deciduous shrubs in your garden, the branches will have to be thinned out and the broken and diseased roots will need to be pruned. Also, the roots that cross over or circle around, will have to be cut off. The best time for pruning is the late winter, just before spring. This would allow for the fresh wounds to be exposed only for a very short time before the callus, or thickened tissue seals off the wound. Trees and shrubs that bloom early in the year should be pruned as soon as they finish blooming. Some examples of trees and shrubs in this category are the

• Apricot
• Azalea
• Chokeberry
• Magnolia
• Forsythia
• Cherry
• Clove currant
• Flowering Plum
• Lilac
• Weigela

The pruning time for shrubs that are planted for their foliage should be in spring. This category of shrubs includes the Dogwood, Honeysuckle, Burning Bush, Alpine Currant, Barberry, and the Purpleleaf Sandcherry. Some shrubs bloom when their growth is new. They should be pruned in spring before they start to grow. Plants like the clematis and the shrub roses should be pruned back to the live wood because their stems are not too hardy while the hardier shrubs like the late blooming Spireas and Hydrangeas should be pruned right down to the first pair of buds above the ground.

Shrubs which are used as hedges need to be pruned soon after they are planted. Once they grow to the height that you want, prune the new growth whenever it grows 6 to 8 inches more that what you want. Prune to 2 inches before the last pruning. If you prune your hedges twice a year, once in the spring and once in midsummer, they grow out densely and are very attractive. Hedges must be pruned such that they are wide at the base and narrow at the top. This would allow the sunlight to penetrate to every part of the hedge. To prune overgrown shrubs remove half of the oldest and thickest stems right from the roots.
This will allow the new stems to grow out from the roots. As for the beautiful evergreens, Spruces, Firs and Douglas-firs can be pruned at any time because they have lateral buds which will sprout when the buds at the tips are removed. Spring pruning could be done as well. Pine trees don’t need much pruning. If, however they have to be pruned, then only up to two-thirds of the newly expanded ‘candles’ should be pruned. Yews, and Junipers, Arborvitae and Hemlocks can be pruned in the midsummer, because they grow continuously throughout the growing season.

A number of tools are used in pruning. For pruning shrubs, make sure you have a sharp pair of secateurs. For pruning of trees, there are a large number of new and innovative tools like the rope saw, pole pruner and lopper, folding pruner and portable buck saws. Make sure that these are disinfected after each use.