How to independently and correctly cut shoots from trees and shrubs

  • May 16, 2021

Every gardener should be able to properly carry out such an important procedure as pruning various shrubs and trees. How difficult can this process be? In fact, it is very easy to make a mistake here.

Pruning shoots. Illustration for this article is used under a standard license © ofazende.com
Pruning shoots. Illustration for this article is used under a standard license © ofazende.com

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We will help you figure out how to properly cut the shoots so that in the end the pruning is positive.

What are the kidneys

If pruning is done during a period when the culture is dormant, the gardener must necessarily distinguish between two types of buds: floral and leaf. The former are plump, rounded and usually fluffy (especially on fruit trees and bushes). Others are rather small, with a pointed tip.

What is the time period for pruning?

The optimum pruning time depends entirely on the budding period of the plant. If flowering stops in June, the pruning procedure must be carried out after the end of this phase of development, in case of the appearance of the first buds in July, pruning can be postponed to spring time.

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Correct pruning on the example of one shoot

Pay attention to pruning and don't make mistakes while pruning:

  1. If cut very high above the bud, the remaining twig will gradually dry out. As a result, both the bud and the shoot can deteriorate.
  2. Cut the branch in the same direction as the bud, so that moisture circulation in the cut shoot will not be impeded. Otherwise, the branch may rot. An incision in the right direction can also enhance the development of the kidney.
  1. Do not cut close to the kidney, otherwise you will most likely damage the supporting tissue. As a result, the kidney will wither away, and the culture will get sick.
  2. The pruning must be correct. Make an incision no more than one centimeter above the kidney, always at an angle and pay attention to it turned out symmetrically with the kidney - only in this case can it become healthy and full of energy escape. Use a sharp and disinfected pruner during this procedure.
Pruning shoots. Illustration for this article is used under a standard license © ofazende.com

Need to know

One of the basic rules for pruning is considered to be cutting off the shoots slightly higher than the buds, which later turn into new young branches. In this regard, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact in which direction the buds are directed, since subsequently young branches will grow in the same direction.

For example, if you want to form a crown on a free-standing shrub, shoots must cut off near the kidneys, which are directed to the outside, in order to open up the central part more bush.

If the shrub is located near an obstacle, it must be formed in such a way that young shoots did not grow towards the center, but at the same time they closed spaces there and did not interfere with each other develop.

Remember that pruning is one of the most important things to do when caring for shrubs and trees. It must be carried out in a timely manner and necessarily correctly.

Do you know how to properly cut shoots from trees and shrubs?

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