When the tips of these stems are removed, the lower buds which are found at the points or nodes where the leaves are attached to the stems and the branches are stimulated to grow. Depending on the particular species of the shrub, each node produces 1 to 3 buds. Gardeners understand their plants, their natural shapes and their individual rate of growth.

They would therefore decide on when and how to prune their plants. Pruning at different seasons elicits different responses from the plants. Thus, all of the plant’s energy gets concentrated in the remaining plant, and the dormant, or even the latent buds get activated to grow.

Since pruning results in the removal of the tips of the plants, care should be taken of the correct time and season to prune the plants, giving the plant time to form new tissues. Shrubs that flower early summer, before the midsummer, should be pruned after flowering i.e. in the early summer so that the new growth has enough time to mature and ripen, before they bloom the following year.

Typical examples of these flowering shrubs are Forsythia and Philadelphus. Shrubs that flower after the midsummer are pruned in winter or spring. They next blooms would be later on in the season after new growth takes place.

Floribunda roses are an example of shrubs that flower after midsummer. The best time for pruning evergreens are in the mid-spring. They can be smoothened and shaped.

This way the young shoots would grow only after the frost. Old shrubs which are a gardener’s old friends can be given a new lease of life by cutting them 30 to 45 cms from the ground. To be safe, cut down 50% of the plant in year 1, which would allow for plentiful growth. Cut the remaining branches in year 2. Again vigorous regrowth takes place. What one has to remember is that the pruning has to happen before the bud breaks. Also, flowering shrubs should be pruned or deheaded immediately after they flower. Otherwise these shrubs will channel their energy into the making of their seeds.

We need to preserve this energy and so will need to cut off the flower heads. It is wise to remember that your plants should be pruned whenever they are damaged due to either senseless vandalism or bad weather. Make sure you have a good, sharp pair of secateurs so that the pruning is neatly and precisely done. They should be disinfected after you prune the plants.

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.

Once they have covered the area that marked out, gentle pruning could be done. Make sure that the climbers have a framework to climb around and on, so that they completely cover the wall or fence. Wall shrubs have support wires which will train their growth.

How this is done is important because at all times you have to make sure that there is sufficient airflow around the stems. This will reduce the risk of fungal infections. Also, plant the climber 12 inches from the base of the wall.

This will allow the roots to grow properly and freely. The straggly twigs could be snipped off with a sharp pair of secateurs. Young shoots could be pruned in August. This is done by cutting them back to within 5 or 6 buds near the base. In winter they could be cut farther back, to within an inch or two of the older wood. The pruning requirements of Clematis differ according to the group to which they belong. The Jackmanii and Vitcella groups should, in February, have the previous summer’s growth cut back to within a few buds of their base. The Alpine and Montana groups are trained to form a framework of branches.

The side shoots from the main framework are cut back to almost their base in early August. The Florida and Patens groups produce their blooms on short growths from the previous year’s shoots. A framework of branches must be created. As soon as they finish blooming, the flowers are cut off just above the buds which can be seen below them. This is because flowers would otherwise use their energy in the growing of the seeds. When they are cut off, the energy remains in the plant and is used by the plant to grow stronger and get ready for the next flowering season. Plants in the Lanuginasa group are treated the same way as the plants in the Jackmanii and Vitecella groups.

This way a large number of flowers is produced. Rambler roses are pruned in September after they flower. However, these produce a lot of foliage, and so must be thinned out annually. Shoots that have flowered are cut completely to ground level, and the new growths are tied back to their supports. Roses are pruned in February.

This is a gentle pruning and not as severe as the pruning done on amblers. Every year, old wood is cut out leaving as much of the young wood as possible. Some climbers need more pruning during the early days of growth. If you see that your climber has thin stems without many buds, shortening them by about 1/3rd will encourage the foliage to grow out more fully. Pruning is very important both for climbers and shrubs so that they don’t have bare stems at the lower levels.