Shrubs can serve as a natural privacy barrier and are a great way to add decoration to your landscape.Pruning shrubs is the best way to tidy them up.Some patience and a few simple tools are all you need.Keep reading to get some helpful ideas.
Step 1: Pruning them over a 3-year period is one method.
This is an effective way to get your shrubs healthy and beautiful again.Start by trimming back a third of the stems at the ground level.Resist the urge to do more.Pruning half of the old-looking stems and leaves at the same time the next year will keep them at ground level.Some of the new growth can be trimmed so that it doesn't get overgrown.The next year, get rid of the old stems at the ground level.New growth can be trimmed if it doesn't look healthy.The shrubs will look great at this point.
Step 2: The shrubs can be cut down to the ground.
Pruning them will allow a number of healthy shoots to be grown during the growing season.The best time to cut the shrub is late March or early April.In the late winter of the next year, identify several strong-looking shoots to keep and peck back all the other branches and stems at ground level.
Step 3: You want the shrub to look the way you want it to.
It is that simple.It is important that your shrub is pleasing to look at or serve another purpose.The most important thing is that you are happy with it.Take a good look at your shrub.You can get a good idea of what you need to change.If the shape of the shrub isn't what you want it to be, take your hand trimmer and hand saw and start trimming it.Use the hand saw to cut the tallest branches first.Back any that aren't going in the direction you want.To work on the shorter branches, use the hand trimmer.To get a more balanced shape, cut back branches that are crossing each other.Look at your progress frequently.You will be able to keep from trimming too much.Euonymus is one of the shrubs that this process works on.
Step 4: Start with the branches that are moving.
Pruning the branches that are following different growth patterns is important if you want your shrub to look nice and tidy.The stems should be close to the root to encourage growth.Make your shrub look full and natural by changing the height of the stems.Light and air will be able to get in.You can use your hand saw to cut thicker branches.You can use your hand trimmer for twigs and thinner branches.You can cut at any angle.Make sure your cuts are straight.You will probably need to do this over the course of 2 seasons if your shrub is wild and overgrown.The shrubs that look great after you reduce them are azalea, butterfly bush, and any other deciduous shrubs.
Step 5: It is a good idea to have a folding hand saw.
The hand Pruner can be used to cut your shrubs.Look for one with two blades that pass each other as they close.This type will give you a clean cut.They will be labeled "bypass pruner" when you look for one in a store or online.A folding hand saw is portable and easy to use, making it a great choice for pruning.You can find one online, in a box store, or at a local gardening center.
Step 6: Prune them when they are not active.
Pruning evergreens before the warm season starts is important because they don't grow much in the summer.In most parts of the US, that means late May or June.In Texas, evergreen shrubs should be trimmed in March or April.Follow the growth pattern of the shrub with yourPruning tool.If your shrub grows vertically, allow the branches to keep going that way.Prune individual stems instead of large groups at the same time.You can keep control of how the shrub grows.Remove dead stems when the shrubs are overgrown.If the shrub is going in a direction that is undesirable, you may need to cut back on new growth.
Step 7: Cut evergreen shrubs the same way as deciduous shrubs.
You might feel overwhelmed if you're new to evergreens.Don't worry!No matter what type of shrub you are trimming, the same basic rules apply.During the warm season evergreens should be trimmed instead of in the spring.Prune branches that are sticking out and ruining the shape of your shrub with your hand saw and trimmer.New growth can come in the direction you want if you cut them off near the root.yew, boxwood, pine, and evergreen are evergreen shrubs.