No matter how perfectly we take care of our plants, sometimes you just have to prune them. This means that you are removing part of the plant, and there are several different reasons why you might do it. You might want the plant to stay a certain size or shape, you might want to encourage more growth, or you might need to get rid of a branch that is not doing so well. But how should we effectively prune our plants?
Choose your tool
The tool you use depends a lot of the plant you are pruning. If you are pruning back a large tree, then you will most likely need loppers, or maybe even a chainsaw. If you are pruning a tomato plant, you can get away with something like handheld snippers. Bigger isn’t always better, so make sure you have the correct tool for the size of plant.
Understand your purpose
Why are you pruning your plant? If it’s damaged or diseased, you will want to make sure to cut back until you reach healthy plant. If your plant is overly bushy and you need to thin it out to improve air circulation, you will want to cut back that branch to the origin point where it branches off the main stem. If you are deadheading your flowers of old blooms, you are just removing the dead flowers, not the whole stem. If you are trying to encourage more growth, you might just pinch the tips off to create a bushier plant.
Choose your timing
When should you prune? This goes back to the understanding your purpose header, in that your timing depends on what your goals are. Deadheading and pinching can be done pretty much any time. Thinning should be done as you notice the plant growing and needing more air flow. Removing damaged or diseased parts of the plant should be done as they are noticed. If you are trying to do a major pruning, this should be done during the dormant season if possible. Also remember that we don’t really want to prune more than about 25% of the plant at a time. Otherwise it can shock the plant and it not thrive very well.
It’s scary the first time you prune a plant. Just be sure to use clean tools and go for it. Most of the time, everything will turn out fine. Go slow, take off less than you think you should to start, and see how the plant responds. You’ll get the hang of it, and then you’ll be a pruning master in no time!