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| Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Yvonne Williams |
| A tree requires pruning when its canopy becomes dense with excess branches, top heavy with new growth or is diseased. |
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| Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Yvonne Williams |
| After an annual pruning, the tree’s canopy is uniformly shaped, open to light, and typically free of diseased or dead wood. | After an annual pruning, the tree’s canopy is uniformly shaped, open to light, and typically free of diseased or dead wood. Picture a dark corner of a yard occupied by an overgrown 30-foot tree and a couple of dense old azaleas drooping to the ground. The fence behind the tree is old, dark wood. The branches overhead are interwoven and so thickly leaved that no light penetrates to the dark ivy carpet below. It might seem unsalvageable, but with some good pruning shears, loppers and a sturdy pole saw, you can make the darkest spots of your garden more attractive and comfortable. Proper pruning is as essential to shade gardening as water and fertilizer. It benefits not only the plant being pruned but all the plants surrounding it, removing poor air circulation caused by overgrown trees, shrubs and groundcovers. There are two main approaches to pruning, and each achieves a different result. One involves topping a plant to control its height and shaving its sides to control its spread. This technique works best with deciduous trees and other plants that readily fill in the cut areas. It’s especially effective in giving a distinct, dense shape to a plant. The other method is most helpful in shade situations: It accentuates a plant’s natural structure by cutting away or thinning unimportant growth to reveal articulated trunks and limbs. With this type of approach, you work from the inside out – and sometimes from the bottom up – to “trace” the plant’s natural shape. Though a shade garden can benefit from either approach, the most natural look comes from opening up a plant from the inside. It’s also the preferred method of pruning for most deciduous trees, azaleas, camellias and other shrubs.
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| Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Yvonne Williams |
| A light meter can help you determine what kind of plants will grow best under your shady conditions. If the shade in a certain area makes it too dark for some of the plantings you desire, carefully prune overhead trees to let in more light. | One school of thought holds that you should prune in midsummer so you can see your results (and mistakes) quickly. Just remember that different trees have different recommended pruning times. If you’re unsure of when to prune your specific species, ask an expert: You can look up your tree species in the Learn2Grow Plant Database, post a question on Learn2Grow’s Garden Party Forums or check with your local nursery or garden center for recommended pruning times. A generally safe approach is to do your initial hard pruning – cutting back about a third of the growth – when the tree is going dormant for the winter, then do a lighter touch-up in the summer. Thin out small branches and leaf clumps until you see dappled light hitting the ground below. Most deciduous trees and shrubs – those that annually lose their leaves – benefit from heavy pruning once they’ve finished blooming or their fruit has fallen. Restrict pruning to once per year, and lightly shape as necessary year-round. Pruning opens light to the interior of the tree, eliminates deadwood and crossing branches, and creates a classic, upside-down umbrella form. Take the steps shown in the following pictures and described in their captions for best results.
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