Intelligent pruning requires knowledge of plant anatomy, plant physiology, and art, as well as some sharp tools and some physical energy
Call for an honest estimate of your pruning project. The Pruning Pro provides a total estimate up front, so you will know the cost before work begins. While discussing the pruning project, your trees or shrubs are evaluated for species, size, location and condition, followed by a plan that meets your goals and brings out the best in your plants.
Pruning Trees and Shrubs
Pruning for Safety
- Remove branches that overhang a walkway or driveway
- Remove branches too close to home, building, fence or other structure
- Remove lower branches ('limb up') to allow more space under canopy
Pruning for Health
- Remove dead, dying and diseased wood
- Remove branches that rub (creating an entry point for pests and disease)
- Thin to allow more air and light throughout the canopy
Pruning for Size and Aesthetics
- Selective pruning using canopy reduction techniques
- Shaping for a balanced look
- Seasonal pruning for tree or shrub type
- Shear small leaf shrubs and hedges
- Prune large leaf shrubs for natural form
Specialized Pruning
Roses
Pruning techniques for a healthy, well-shaped bush with the best blooming potential is specific to the type of rose you have. The most common roses found in NW gardens are:
- Hybrid teas
- Floribundas
- Grandifloras
- Miniatures
- Climbing Roses
- Shrub Roses
- Old Garden Roses
It is important to know the category of rose you have before pruning. A Hybrid Tea will set just one flower per year on a stem, but Floribundas, if pruned properly, will give you new blooms for your vase or floral arrangement throughout the season.
Conifers
- Restrict growth of younger or smaller needle-bearing trees
- Prune older, larger conifers correctly for balance and aesthetic appeal
- Remove suckers and lower limbs of small or large trees
Note: The largest trees (douglas firs, large cedars, etc.) need a certified arborist with the training and equipment to get high in the canopy. The Pruning Pro can recommend highly skilled local large-tree service outfits.
Flowering and Other Shrubs
- Proper pruning for shrubs that set buds and bloom on last year's stems
- Proper pruning for shrubs that set buds and bloom on this year's new stems
- Shear small-leaf shrubs and hand prune large-leaf shrubs
- Maintain topiary forms
- Prune for natural growth forms
Fruit Trees
- Prune to reduce overall tree size
- Prune for fruit production
- Prune for structural strength and to induce branching
- Remove vertical water sprouts
- Tip prune or spur prune where appropriate
Tool Maintenance
Hand Pruners and Loppers
- Clean, sharpen, disinfect and lubricate
