Scared to Prune?

To many of us pruning seems to be some magical process the details of which are known to only a select few. But the rules of pruning are actually pretty basic. Here we will try to keep it as simple as possible.

Why Prune?

  • To remove dead, diseased or damaged branches in order to maintain the health of our plants.
  • To direct growth and make plants more attractive.
  • To remove undesirable growth.
  • To increase flowering or fruiting.
  • To maintain safety by removing dead or broken limbs or branches that threaten to fall.
  • To maintain hedges or topiaries.

*Take Note: if a plant requires continual pruning to keep it in check it was probably a poor choice for the location.

Pruning and Plant Growth Explained
Learning about growth buds will help you decide where and why to make pruning cuts.

Terminal Buds

  • the growth bud at the tip of the branch that causes the branch to grow longer.
  • produces hormones that move down the branch inhibiting other buds along the branch from growing.
  • removal of the terminal bud allows the other buds to grow.

Lateral Buds

  • grow along the sides of a branch at leaf attachment points (nodes) and make a plant bushy.
  • these buds stay dormant until the branch has grown long enough to 
diminish the influence of the hormones produced by the terminal bud or 
until the terminal bud is pruned off.

Latent Buds

  • hidden buds that lie dormant beneath the bark and start growing if a 
branch breaks or is cut off near a latent bud, e.g. latent buds can be easily seen on the trunk and older branches of a Rhododendron.

Types of Pruning Cuts

Thinning

  • removal of entire stems or branches back to their points of origin or where they join with other branches.
  • reduces the bulk of a plant, opens up a plant’s structure allowing light in and air to circulate.
  • useful for plants like Hydrangea, Forsythia and Kerria.

Shearing

  • clipping a plant’s outer foliage to create an even surface.
  • use for hedges or topiaries.

Pinching

  • removing only the tips of new growth (the terminal bud).
-stimulates branching.
  • used mostly on annuals and perennials to make them bushy and encourage more flowers.

Coppicing

  • the annual pruning of a shrub or tree close to ground level.
  • results in the production of a quantity of vigorous new shoots each year.
  • plants like hardy fuchsias and shrubby dogwood take well to this pruning practice.

Heading

  • removal of part of a stem or branch, not the whole thing as in Thinning.
  • stimulates the growth of lateral buds just below the pruning cut.
  • useful for plants like Lavenders and Heathers, where bushiness and floral display is the goal.

Making Pruning Cuts

  • The placement of a pruning cut is very important
  • Pruning cuts should be made at a 45°angle 6mm(1/4”) above the outward facing bud.
  • If you cut too close to a bud it is likely to die resulting in no new growth.
  • Cuts made too far away from the bud leave a stub that will eventually decay leaving an area that is vulnerable to attack by insects or disease.

Correct Prune


Incorrect Pruning Cuts

  • a. Too close to the bud
  • b. Too far away from the bud
  • c. Too steep an angle

Large Pruning Cuts


When removing a large heavy limb avoid ripping the bark by shortening the branch to a stub before cutting it off just outside the branch collar. This is done in 3 steps:

  1. One foot from the branch base make a cut from the underside about 1/3 of the way through.
  2. About an inch further out on the branch cut through the top until the branch rips off.
  3. Make the final cut close to but not flush with the trunk or main branch that the limb is being removed from.

When to Prune
It is always time to prune out dead, damaged or diseased wood but if you need to know when to prune a particular plant, please come in or call our West Vancouver location 604-922-2613 or our North Vancouver location 604-985-1784 and one of our knowledgeable staff will be glad to help.

An Arsenal of Pruning Tools
Choose your weapon:
Secateurs: hand held pruning shears used for making small cuts not larger than 8mm (3/4”) in diameter.

Loppers: long handled pruners that are capable of cutting branches up to 2.5cm (1”) in diameter. The long handles provide more leverage and reach.

Pole Pruner: anvil-type pruner on a long pole (sometime telescopic). Useful for removing branches high up in trees. Can include a pruning saw attachment.

Pruning Saw: narrow bladed saw that has one cutting edge. Can deal with wood up to 11/2 in diameter and reach into awkward places.

Hedge Shears: scissor-like action for trimming hedges and topiaries.