In a well-planned, well-pruned garden, you're rarely aware of the pruning. Trees and shrubs grow in perfect proportion to each other; they complement houses and other structures rather than overwhelming them. In fact, most of us notice pruning only when it's badly done.
Why do we prune?Choose the right plant for the right location and give it plenty of room to expand, and you probably won't need to prune too often. You may have to cut back a few stems or branches now and then as the plant matures, but pruning won't be a major task.
Sometimes, however, circumstances make pruning a necessity. A tree's branches might block your view as you back out of your driveway, creating a safety hazard; you may move into a home with a garden so woefully neglected it has turned into a jungle. These and several other key reasons to prune are listed below.
• To maintain safety. Remove low-growing branches if they impede passing vehicles or obscure oncoming traffic from view. You may also need to take out split or broken branches before they have the chance to come crashing down on a person, car, or building. It's wise, too, to prune out low-hanging, whiplike branches (especially those with thorns) that might strike passersby.
• To alter or rejuvenate growth. Neglected, overgrown shrubs can sometimes be turned into small multitrunked trees if you remove their lower limbs; this may be a better approach than digging out the shrub and planting another in its place.
• To direct growth. Pruning influences the direction in which a plant grows: each time you make a cut, you stop growth in one direction and encourage it in another. This principle is important to keep in mind when you train young trees to develop a strong branching structure.
• To remove undesirable growth. Prune out unwanted growth periodically: cut out wayward branches, thin growth that's too dense, and remove suckers (stems growing up from the roots) and water sprouts (upright shoots growing from the trunk and branches).
• To promote plant health. Trees and shrubs stay healthier if you remove branches that are diseased, dead, pest ridden, or rubbing together.
• To create particular shapes. You can prune a line of closely planted trees or shrubs as a unit to create a hedge. If you're a hobbyist who practices topiary, you'll prune trees and shrubs into fanciful shapes.
• To produce more flowers or fruits. Flowering plants and some fruit trees are pruned to increase the yield of blossoms and fruit and to improve their quality. You'll need to remove spent flowers from roses throughout their bloom time, for example; for some fruit trees, you'll make many small, precise cuts each dormant season. Though this sort of pruning sometimes seems a tedious chore, remember that your efforts will pay off in lavish bloom and generous crops of fruit.
