Pruning trees and shrubs is one of the most crucial maintenance procedures for these plants. Neglected plants tend to bloom less and produce fewer fruits. Without proper care, they are exposed to an increased risk of infections. Some trees and shrubs should be pruned annually to promote healthy growth, denser foliage, abundant flowering, and fruiting (for fruit-bearing species). Others, on the other hand, do not require pruning at all.

When, how, and what to prune? Below, we will try to answer all these questions.

Types of Pruning

We distinguish several basic types of pruning for trees and shrubs, such as maintenance pruning, formative pruning, rejuvenating pruning, sanitary pruning, thinning, and corrective pruning.

💇‍♀️Basic maintenance pruning for trees and shrubs includes formative pruning. For trees, its purpose is to maintain the dominance of the leader (the main shoot relative to other shoots forming the tree's crown). For ornamental shrubs, it involves shortening the shoots to densify the lower parts and removing unnecessary, crossing, and competing shoots for light. This type of pruning is particularly important for young plants.

đź’‡Thinning pruning aims to loosen the crown and allow light into its interior. At a time, no more than 15% of the tree's crown mass should be removed. Old and thick branches should not be pruned, as the resulting wounds are large and heal poorly.

🧑‍⚕️Sanitary pruning involves removing dry, diseased, and broken branches or shoots. Occasionally, corrective pruning may be necessary, performed on improperly shaped crowns of older trees and shrubs.

đź’†In the case of older plants, rejuvenating pruning may be necessary, involving the gradual removal of old, diseased, and damaged branches. Its goal is to stimulate the plant to produce new and robust shoots. However, one must be aware of the risk involved in rejuvenating pruning, as old and often weakened plants may not always respond well to such cutting.

Here's why pruning is essential:

Facilitates tree establishment.
Ensures proper root growth.
Prevents branches from growing in the wrong direction.
Maintains the appropriate height of the tree.
Increases resistance and durability, e.g., against breakage.
Accelerates the growth of young shoots (crown densification).