What is the best way to trim shrubs? Is there a right or wrong answer? Shrubs are beautiful and add so much to any landscape, but they can get out of control. How do you know what type of trimming technique might work best for your shrubbery? Keep reading for 10 tips on how you can keep your shrubs in check.
1. Choose the Right Time of Year
If you are trimming shrubs, think about what time of year it is. Trimming your flowers too early will do them no good, because they won’t have enough sun or water to grow back properly. You don’t want to cut your shrubbery when there are no leaves on it either because if you leave stubs behind, animals could use them as homes. Make sure that the shrubs are well hydrated before you begin trimming them down, and choose a time during autumn or winter for best results.
2. Use Pruning Shears with Care
The regular household scissors that most people use to cut paper will not work well to prune shrubs. While it is possible to do it with these types of scissors, you run the risk of damaging your shrubs if you aren’t careful. Trimming shrubs is best left to experts or people who have a lot of experience pruning flowers and bushes.
3. Cut Off at Least 1/2 Inch from Shrub Stems
When cutting stems for shrubs, make sure that you cut them off at least a half-inch above a bud cluster. If you cut below this point, the cutting will not grow back properly because there is no way for it to get nourishment from the rest of the plant. You can also leave stubs if needed by cutting just outside the bud so that moisture and nutrients can still flow down into it as well.
4. Prune in the Early Morning or Late Evening
Prune your shrubs either in the early morning while it is still cool out, or late at night when there isn’t any dew on them. Both of these times of day will be best for helping the new growth to form properly without getting too much sunburned or dehydrated during regular daytime hours. You can prune shrubs whenever you like though if you are experienced enough to know what you are doing!
5. Trim Dirty Shrubs First
If your shrubbery is covered with dead leaves and trimming debris, make sure that you trim those off first before working on anything else. This way you aren’t going to spread the mess around the plant and accidentally damage it, but you will also make sure that there isn’t any other debris left behind to make your shrubbery sick later.
6. Know Which Shrubs Need More Water
Know which shrubs need more water as you are trimming them. Flowers that might not be getting enough water from their roots anymore can use a little bit of extra TLC when they are trimmed back. Don’t give too much though because you don’t want to drown them either!
7. Make Sure the Shrub Isn’t Diseased Before You Trim It
If you know that there is something wrong with one of your larger shrubs before you even begin working on it then stop what you are doing and get a new cutting from a healthy shrub if you can. If not, then do some research on how to care for the shrub that is sick before you start trimming it back with shears.
8. Don’t Trim All of Your Shrubs in One Day
Trimming your entire garden isn’t going to happen all at once, so don’t try or else you might become overwhelmed by how much work there is to be done. Instead, plan on starting small and only working on two or three plants per day until they are all looking beautiful again – then pat yourself on the back knowing that you did a great job!
9. Add Bright Flowers Where You Cut Back Shrubs
You can even out the look of your shrubbery by planting bright flowers where you prune it back, if needed. Even if your shrubs don’t need this type of cutback, you might want to give it a shot anyway because it will help brighten up your yard and make everything look more cheerful!
10. Don’t Forget to Water Everything You Trim
Don’t forget that you are cutting off part of your plant when trimming it down. That means that the rest of the plant needs to be watered more often than usual so that it doesn’t dry out — just like when anyone cuts their hair shorter, they usually need extra haircare products or else they’ll go bald! The same goes for shrubs – you can’t just leave them alone and expect everything to be fine.
11. Water the Shrub Slowly When You Do Water It
If you water your shrubbery right away after pruning it, then you could actually damage the shrub because there isn’t enough time for all of the roots to get hydrated thoroughly before getting too much water at once. However, if you give it a slow watering then the plant will have plenty of time to soak up all that moisture into its system so that nothing goes wrong or gets hurt by over-hydration at any rate!
12. Don’t Forget About Your New Growth
When trimming your shrubs back, remember that new growth can sprout up very quickly when it is growing too long, so make sure that you are pruning the new growth whenever it pops up. This way your shrubbery won’t get out of control at all!
13. Use Different Shears for Different Shrubs
If you have different kinds of shrubs, then you will probably want to use a different type or style of shears for each kind – especially if they are very different types of plants altogether. If not, then try to at least change out your shears when one gets dull and begins to snag on the leaves and stems while you are trimming them back. This can help prevent damage from occurring.
14. Check Your Garden Often
Keep an eye on your garden over time when you are trimming it back, so that you can see which shrubs need to be pruned back more often than others – or maybe even at all! You might also notice if a new branch pops up here and there, so make sure you take care of everything as needed.
15. Prune a Little Bit Each Season for Healthier Growth
Another great tip is to prune your plants just a little bit each year while they are growing in the springtime. This will help promote new growth and keep everything healthy so that you don’t have to give your plants much attention later on when they get out of hand – you can just cut them back again if necessary!
16. Cut Back All of the Dead Branches
There is no point in trimming your shrubs if you are going to leave the dead branches behind. If there are any brown leaves or other dead plant parts, be sure to cut those off as well to make your job easier and faster!
17. Plan Your Cutbacks for the Right Time of Year
When planning out when you should prune your shrubs back, keep in mind that it depends on what type of plant it is and what season it will take place during – not just the time of year that you want everything to look spiffy again! Also, do some research on how much sunlight this variety of shrub needs each month so that you know how often to water it. Just by doing this little bit of extra work, you can help prevent anything from dying or getting damaged.
18. Keep an Eye Out for Bugs
When trimming your shrubs back, keep in mind that bugs might take over during this period of time. If you find any pests taking enjoy in your plants before you get to them then ask an expert about how to get rid of them without harming the plants or the environment – usually just spraying some water on them will do the trick! Some bugs won’t be able to stand it and will simply fly away – problem solved!
19. Don’t Forget About Your Bushes!
Don’t forget about bush pruning season either when you are trimming down your other shrubs! This is a great chance for you to get rid of any old branches or dead leaves that might be laying around without having too much trouble at all. If you do this, then your bushes will look sensational in no time!
20. Trim Your Bushes Back Slightly
One last tip is to trim your shrubs back slightly when it’s their turn during the season. This way they won’t get out of control and your garden will stay looking nice all year long! Keep these tricks in mind when looking for ways to prune your shrubs next time, because if you are able to follow them then you are bound to have success!
