Since you’re reading this 2024 guide, you probably know that pruning is, perhaps, the most significant thing that you could do to care for your backyard. Nonetheless, you shouldn’t really go around with a pair of shears and cut whatever portion of the plant you want, instead, you’ll have to learn how frequently and what you need to trim.
Now, we aren’t gonna lie, there is a wide range of trimming techniques that you’ll have to learn so that you can help the trees thrive, and luckily, our article will shed some light on the entire topic. To make things easier for you, here is a list of things that you should keep in mind before you start trimming:
There Are Three Methods
Before we take a look at how frequently and when you should clip the plants in your backyard, you must first learn the three types of cutting since this could help you determine what needs to be done. Firstly, you should know that all of the three methods will involve cutting and/or trimming the branches and foliage of the plant so that you could allow it to grow further. Second, there are three methods of pruning plants, which are the following:
- Heading – is a method where you’ll have to crop off portions of the branches, which is something that could help you handle how large it is, you could control in which direction they’ll keep spreading in, and more importantly, you’ll be capable of stimulating growth, meaning that it’ll thrive.
- Pinching – this is something that revolves mostly around flowers, however, there are trees that produce flowers too. Pinching is a process where you use your fingers to remove the stem of the plant and if you do this, you’ll encourage new ones to grow, which will keep the plants thriving.
- Thinning – lastly, you may have to thin your plant. It’ll require a pair of pruning scissors and it’s mainly done to prevent overgrowth by lowering the foliage. Once you remove the leaves, sunshine will penetrate the plant better, which will, of course, prompt it to grow further.
So, When Should I Start Trimming?
Now, this is a difficult question to answer, mostly due to the fact it’ll rely on the sort of plants you’re currently growing in your backyard. If you opt for snipping them during the wrong period – such as late in the budding season – you may prompt new buds to develop, which will then wither as soon as winter starts. For some trees, pruning the excess leaves could cause them to wither since they won’t have protection during winter, thus, you must be extra careful.
You should keep in mind, if you want to regularly and properly take care of your plants, you should deadhead most perennials and annuals during the whole year. What is deadheading? Well, it’s basically pinching which means that you should remove the dead leaves and/or flowers so that the tree can use its energy for growing new ones. To assist you with determining when you’ll need to trim the trees, here are a few general rules:
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During The End of Winter
One of the first things that you should know is that trees must be trimmed during the period when they’re dormant since this is something that can prevent them from being diseased. Insects such as beetles will be attracted to the cuts you produce which means that such insects can spread diseases to your trees. This can cause the plant to completely die, which is when you’ll need to opt for a tree removal service like the ones featured on www.findlocaltreeservice.com.
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At The Beginning of Spring
A lot of experts will tell you that you must trim the fruit trees at the beginning of spring. In most cases, they must be cut in this period, mostly because the plants will be dormant and their buds won’t start growing yet. Keep in mind, if you have hedges or large shrubs, they must be pruned during this period as well, mostly because this will allow you to create a form that they’ll grow in during the rest of the year.
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At The End of Spring
The end of spring is the period when you’ll maintain the blooming flowers in your garden, however, if you maintain ornamental shrubs, topiaries, or flowering hedges, you’ll want to snip them as soon as their blossoms fall. If you do it sooner, you could end up damaging or completely removing the buds, which will, of course, cause the plant to wither, but it might also hinder the plant from producing new buds later on.
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During Summer & Autumn
You should spend your summer working on removing all dead branches, withered buds, and leaves, as well as guaranteeing that the roots of your trees aren’t damaged. Most trees aren’t trimmed during the hottest period of the year, instead, they’re simply maintained. During autumn, you must focus on your flowers, and some trees – depending on the ones you have – will have to be maintained, thus, do some research to determine whether or not you’ll have to trim them.
A Few Tips to Keep in Mind
Before we conclude this guide, there are a few tips worth mentioning, especially since they could assist you throughout the process. For starters, you must guarantee that you own the proper tools and equipment for the job. There are various options available on the market, so, before going ahead and purchasing the first shears that come up in your search results, guarantee that they’re actually suitable for the job you need to complete.
When it comes to how you’ll cut the branches and other parts of the plant, you could use a wide range of tutorials, how-to guides, and videos for learning how successfully complete the cutting process. You must remember if you aren’t sure about your skills or if you wish to guarantee that you don’t hurt your trees, hiring a professional landscaping organization might be a better choice than doing everything by yourself.
Conclusion
As you can see, different plants will need to be maintained and trimmed during different seasons. By following our 2024 guide from above, you’ll be able to take care of your trees when needed, but more importantly, you can guarantee that you don’t end up damaging them, which can result in withering.
