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Owning a garden is a big responsibility and a challenge! If you have evergreen shrubs, it’s important to prune them properly to keep them looking great and growing optimally.
In this article, we’ll give you some garden tips on how to properly prune your evergreen shrubs!
The benefits of pruning evergreen shrubs
Evergreen shrubs are highly valued for their ability to provide some aesthetic and decorative value throughout the year. They are also an excellent solution for providing shade and coolness in summer.
Regular pruning of shrubs improves their shape and appearance. It is also necessary to keep them in good health. Pruning removes dead or diseased branches, as well as those that are too close together to allow sunlight, air and moisture to penetrate.
Pruning also favors flowering: it allows flowers to develop well, by limiting the growth of branches that lack light.
When to prune evergreen shrubs?
Pruning evergreen shrubs is an essential step for their proper development. Evergreen shrubs must be pruned regularly for several reasons.
Indeed, pruning shrubs allows to give them a harmonious shape and even to modify their silhouette. It also has a beneficial effect on their health because it removes diseased or dead branches.
Pruning also promotes aeration and light within the plant, which contributes to its development and blossoming.
Shrubs can be pruned all year round, but care must be taken as some plants are better pruned at certain times of the year than others.
How do I prune these shrubs?
Gentle pruning, severe pruning, training pruning or fruiting pruning: pruning techniques for evergreen shrubs differ according to the varieties and species.
To obtain a beautiful result, it is necessary to proceed with appropriate pruning that respects the specific needs of each variety. Here are the steps to follow for a good pruning of evergreen shrubs:
- Choose the right time to prune your evergreen shrubs: late winter or early spring.
- Remove dead, damaged and diseased branches.
- Cut back excessively long and crossing branches.
- Draw the desired silhouette and respect the general shape of the shrub.
- Thin out the center of the shrub to facilitate air circulation.
- Make a fine pruning, that is to say, prune without removing too much wood.
- Clean the tools: clean your tools before and after each use to avoid the spread of diseases.
Finally, annual maintenance pruning is recommended to keep evergreen shrubs in good shape and healthy.
Some additional tips for pruning evergreen shrubs
When pruning evergreen shrubs, it is important not to remove too many branches at once. If you remove too many branches, it can cause unnecessary stress to the tree and prevent proper growth.
It is also important to keep your pruner in good condition and sharp to avoid injuring branches and trunks when cutting. You should also take care to mix the compost well with the soil so that the tree can benefit from the necessary nutrients.
Finally, remember that pruning evergreen shrubs should only be done when they are fully grown. This allows the branches to be strong enough to support the weight of fruit and flowers.
Pruning evergreen shrubs is an easy task to accomplish, if you follow good practices.
By taking care of their size and shape during the growing season, you can ensure healthy and regular growth. It is also important to use sharp tools to minimize the loss of leaves and branches.
By following these garden tips, you will be able to enjoy large evergreen shrubs that will beautify your garden.
