You are a proud owner of newly planted trees or shrubs. A frequently asked question, “At what point do I start pruning?”
Plants are like children and they need attention. Trimming begins within the first year after being planted. You bring the new baby home from the hospital, a small bundle of joy. Your landscape plantings are also starting out small with great potential. Now, let’s pretend you let the baby go for 5 years. Let the little one do whatever it wants whenever it wants. You provide some water and basic nutrition but other than that, it’s on its own. Will the child understand when you start saying no at the age of five? I don’t think any of us want to find out but my guess is that it would be a problem.
Early Years – Attention to pruning will be most beneficial to your landscape plantings. Pruning off dead and broken branches may be all that is needed or shaping to match its brothers and sisters. Trimming low branches on small trees is important also. If you will prune off the two lowest branches each year, you will have a tree that you can walk under and mow around in 5 years instead of what could resemble a large bush.
Ages 5 to 10 years – These are the informative years for your children and too the most important years in the life of your landscape. Several light prunings are needed to maintain your plantings in the space they were designed to fill. Type of tree or shrub will determine the proper method and time to prune.
Ages 10-15 years – These are the years that can get ugly. The kids have a mind of their own and your shrubs may also. Once again, timely pruning and your landscape plantings will respond and continue to look great. Trimming your plants at the right time and in the right way is most important. Improperly pruned plants may develop bare areas or blunt stubbing ends from repeated improper pruning.
Ages 15-20 years – How is your landscape looking now? Some of your plantings still look pretty good. Some may have out grown their space or have been pruned so much that they need replaced. Much like when parents are ready for the kids to go off to college. It may be time to think about updating the landscape by now. A well thought out landscape design with proper care will typically last for 15 to 20 years.
By letting the professionals at Landscape Consultants LLC prepare a Landscape Design for you and you providing the minimal care, your landscape will be enjoyed for many years.
