Pruning is performed on woody plants for a variety of reasons, the most basic being for plant health. Look for branches that are dead, damaged, or diseased. Damaged branches are those that are broken or are rubbing together. Frequently you will see plants infected with black knot which affects members of the Prunus genus such as chokecherry, mayday, ornamental cherry, and plum. Fire blight is found on trees and shrubs with pome (or apple) type fruit such as apple trees, pear trees, mountain ash, and saskatoons. Take a bit of time to familiarize yourself with these diseases, there is plenty of information on the internet.
Pruning can be performed for aesthetics, aiming for a nice form for your woody plants but keep in mind you can’t change the natural shape of your tree or shrub. Avoid shearing with hedge trimmers or other tools; it’s better practice to prune individual branches with hand pruners or loppers. Hedges often respond well to being cut down hard to 15 cm every three to four years and allowed to regrow – this works particularly well with cotoneaster hedges.
Pruning for size is very common, but it is a losing battle. It is better to research the mature size of new plant material and give it sufficient space, rather than constantly trying to keep it smaller.
Fruit trees are pruned to encourage and increase fruit production. This requires more technical knowledge and the ability to recognize fruit spurs and flower buds. Not to be rushed into, do your homework or consider hiring a professional arborist. This year, the CKE garden will be looking for guidance in pruning our new espalier pear trees. We’ll be learning how to carry out this kind of pruning in the years to come.
Timing is also important. Most trees and shrubs can be pruned in the winter when they are dormant, before temperatures start to warm up. Plants recover quickly and the bare branches make it easier to see disease or damage and to evaluate shape. Exceptions to this rule are birch and maple trees, as their sap will bleed if pruned before the leaves have emerged. Best to wait until mid-summer. For spring flowering plants, the rule of thumb is to prune right after their flowers fade. And elm trees in Alberta must not be pruned between April 1 and September 30 to prevent the spread of Dutch elm disease.
Woody plants are a long-term investment in your landscape so take the time to look after them!
Happy Gardening!
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