Best garden decorating tips


Gardening - When to Prune

Pruning that is done by the amateur gardeneronly the most vigorous and strongly growing
is carried out to maintain a plant that hasbranches so as not to put too much stress on
been already trained in a nursery. However,the plant's other stems.Pruning is also
many keen gardeners grow shrubs and evencarried out to maintain the youngest shoots
trees from cuttings and seed, even though itwhich are the most productive. The last but
is better to leave a large tree to theby no means the least important aim in
experts, because of the special equipmentpruning is to protect the plant's health.All
required and the risks involved. Thebranches that are dry, diseased, broken or
principles that must guide the gardener whendamaged in any way should be removed by
he picks up a pair of secateurs should alwayscutting into the nearest healthy wood
be 'a well pruned plant is a beautiful andimmediately above a well-developed shoot.
healthy plant' and 'pruning well carried outSmaller branches that are too slender, too
should almost be undetectable'.Trees do notthick or that cross in the center of the
necessarily have to be pruned. The reasonplant or any that are badly positioned should
for pruning them is to shape or keep aalso be removed by cutting at the base of the
specimen that displays the finest features ofyoung wood but not the main branch from which
a particular species. Any work carried outit is growing.These actions, which are
should be limited to encouraging or assistingintended to eliminate possible sources of
the natural development of each plant as itdisease and to maintain an open, regular
grows from a young tree into a fully grownshape into which sun and air can penetrate
one and to avoid defects that might turn outfreely, should be carried out annually on all
to be harmful to the tree.Shrubs can beplants regardless of when they flower. In
pruned to emphasize their ornamental featuresareas with a very hot climate this can be the
but it is important to strike a balanceend of summer. In cold areas it is better to
between encouraging the production of flowerswait until the end of winter. Where there is
and allowing the plant to continue to growsnow it is prudent to anticipate possible
and develop. Another objective in pruning isdamage and in autumn cut the longest braches
to maintain the characteristic form of eachback or tie them into bundles.Observation and
species, encouraging the branches and stemsan understanding of the ways in which a plant
to develop and grow in a way that allows thegrows are useful when deciding if and when to
plant to achieve its naturalprune. First it is important to check
potential.Sometimes pruning is needed towhether the plant flowers on wood grown
encourage the growth of a properly balancedduring the same year as the flowering taking
plant. The weakest shoots may need to be cutplace or on wood that grew in a previous
back hard to one, two or three shoots toyear. This knowledge will dictate the best
stimulate vigorous growth or it may betime to prune.
necessary to reduce by two or three shoots



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