The Unkindest Cut

Pruning Do’s and Don’ts

There’s a right and wrong way to prune a tree or shrub. If cuts are made at the wrong time or place, you can damage the plant, open it up to insect infestation, rot, disease, or hasten its decline. When and where to cut depends on what kind of tree or shrub we’re talking about. I only have one rule about pruning:

1. If you don’t know the right way to prune, don’t do it.

It’s better not to do anything than to do the wrong thing. I had a client kill their shrubs by shearing them in the heat of the summer, during a drought. Another client never had blooms on their lilacs or hydrangeas because they pruned them at the wrong time of year. My dad sustained a broken kneecap and torn ligaments while falling out of his oak tree with a running chain saw in his hand.

Ok, so there are two rules about pruning:

2. Call a professional. Reach out to us today!

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