Proper Pruning Techniques

Pruning is a critical activity we do at the beginning of the spring and the end of the summer to ensure our plants stay healthy and full of luscious growth. Here is our 2021 guide to pruning for your landscape!

Why Do We Prune?

Boost Plant Health

The act of pruning is all about removing dead and dying growth, which makes space for new growth. As an added bonus, pruning your plants will keep any pests from nesting in them throughout the year.

Maintain Your Landscape and the Life in it

When you keep up with pruning over the years, you are effectively helping develop the aesthetic of your plants. If you want to see perfectly proportioned plants, bushes and trees in your garden, keeping up with pruning will help you achieve that.

Protect Your Family and Property

One of the often-forgotten bonuses of pruning your trees is that it will remove any high-risk limbs that could fall after a strong gust of wind passes by. This will protect both your property and your loved ones from harm.

What’s the Difference Between Pruning and Trimming?

People often use the terms trimming and pruning interchangeably, but there are actually some key differences. Pruning is all about keeping plants healthy by removing the dead, loose or infected branches. The purpose of trimming, on the other hand, is more tied to the aesthetics of a plant. Throughout the year, trimming helps us shape up overgrown plants to stimulate even more healthy and desirable growth.

Pruning Old Wood Vs New Wood

The correct time to prune a plant is tied to whether it blooms on new or old wood. Many spring flowers bloom on last year’s stems, making them “old wood” plants. Most of the time, you can prune old wood plants right after they bloom. Once fall rolls around, you’ll likely start seeing buds for the year ahead!

Stems that develop during the current season are known as new wood. These plants will usually bloom later in the year, so you should be sure to prune them in late winter or early spring to clear the way for new growth. Keep in mind that plants can be very similar and still require different pruning schedules. For example, you can find specific types of hydrangeas that either bloom on new or old wood. Figuring out the optimal time to prune them will preserve their health, make them look their best and save time in the long run. Alternatively, you could always just leave it to the experts:

Expert Trimming and Pruning with Eddington Landscaping

At Eddington Landscaping, we help our customers create the perfect landscaped yard for their needs. Since 2011, we have worked to help homeowners, property management companies and businesses create the perfect landscapes that meet their budget and maintenance requirements. To learn more, call us today at (512) 432-4866 or request a quote here.