The Basics of Pruning Shrubs and Woody Plants | Gardener's Path

When to prune, how to prune, where to prune? There’s no other task that strikes fear into the heart of most amateur gardeners as does the subject of pruning plants.

Yet successful pruning can be among the most satisfying of garden tasks, because the results can be spectacular. Done correctly, it can yield an abundance of flowers, foliage, and fruit.

However, done incorrectly, it can result in damaged plants, disappointment, and failure! No wonder we fear the process.

While pruning successfully may appear complicated and difficult, the fact is that it is no more complex than the many other gardening activities that gardeners engage in regularly.

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It’s all about learning the correct methods for each type and variety of plant. There are distinct differences and the answer lies in what all good gardeners already know: Understand each and every one of your plants and what they need to thrive.

Along with quality soil, the right lighting, and essential nutrients, good pruning is just another tool in the gardener’s toolshed and one that has some easy basic steps to master. Good pruning will result in a healthier, more vigorous garden.

First of all, let’s define what pruning actually is and what it can do to help your plants. While you don’t have to be a master gardener to understand the entire process, you do need to have some basic plant knowledge.

Simply put, when pruning, a gardener is controlling the plants growth and development into specific patterns. Each shoot (or branch) on a woody plant ends in what is known as the terminal bud, below which other buds