The Benefits of Pruning Plants

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The truth is, most plants benefit from some type of pruning and maintenance. While you are likely pruning to improve the appearance or the health of the plant, it is important you prune at the appropriate time using the right practices. Understanding how plants grow will help you prune your plants correctly. While it can certainly be time consuming, the benefits of proper pruning are plenty. The team at Landscape Management Company can help keep your landscape beds and plants looking great year round.

There are several primary reasons for pruning plants in the landscape. Plant health, safety, appearance and space are a few of the most important reasons for pruning.

Plant Health – removing damaged branches that may become an entry point for insects or disease.

Safety – improving visibility for traffic and pedestrians; removal of dead limbs that may cause injuries and property damage; reducing plant interference with parking lot lighting; improving visibility for people in areas where criminal activity may be of concern.

Appearance – suiting the desires of the property owner and bringing about the intentions of the landscape designer; creating special effects such as pollarding and topiary; promoting flower production and more dense growth; encouraging new growth for balance and filling a void; rejuvenating established plants that are overgrown or leggy.

Space – maintaining plants within a given area.

The correct pruning process requires specific planning. First, identify plants to be pruned, determine the reason for pruning, what the desired end results are and how the work can be safely accomplished. Next, formulate a plan by determining the proper season to prune, where the location of pruning cuts will be and consideration of how the plants will respond to the pruning cuts. The clean-up involved and disposal of debris will also need to be considered.

Skillful plant pruning is a well thought out process that requires proper sharp tools for clean pruning cuts. When pruning, whether you are using bypass pruners, loppers, hand saws, chain saws or even pneumatic equipment, safety needs to be the first and foremost consideration. Safety gear such as gloves, eye and ear protection, leg chaps and helmets will be needed depending upon the type of pruning and the pruning tools used.

Many pruning tasks are best left to professionals with proper training and the appropriate pruning and safety equipment. Landscape Management Company can help you keep your landscape plants pruned properly, saving you time and stress so you don’t have to worry with this skillful task.

Make sure your landscape stays in shape all year long. To speak to one of our landscaping experts, contact us today!