One of the wisest investments you can make in your property is to keep the trees and shrubs safe, healthy and beautiful by maintaining a pruning program.

This periodic removal of plant parts is done for safety, appearance, structural integrity, the health of trees and shrubs, and restoration after storms or other damage. Be aware. Improper pruning can harm healthy plant growth. Choose your arborist carefully. Call upon experts who know that no cut should be made without a specific purpose.

Shearing, or removing a portion of the current year's growth one or more times a year, gives a formal, structural look but concentrates the foliage on the perimeter of the plant. Should there be damage or incorrect pruning, ugly holes could appear due to the lack of foliar growth within the perimeter. Pruning provides a more natural shape and usually results in a healthier plant. Pruning removes plant parts that grew prior to the current season. The process tends to rejuvenate the plant.

WHY PERIODIC PRUNING?

Pruning is necessary for safety reasons. Weak branches, and those that interfere with structures, lighting, utility lines, pedestrians and vehicle traffic, need to be removed. Pruning is also an invigorating process. By removing dead, dying, diseased and crossing branches, energy reserves are directed toward growth in the remaining branches. Periodic pruning should maintain a desirable, natural shape while enhancing the beauty and health of your landscape.

WHEN SHOULD PRUNING START?

Pruning young plants provides a strong structure to support future growth. Most young trees need a strong central leader and balance so that weight stress is distributed properly to prevent structural problems later in the life of the plant.

IS IT EVER TOO LATE TO START PRUNING?

Pruning can start at any time, but it requires careful branch selection to allow the natural growth habits of most trees to develop. Because safety is of primary importance, any tree with deadwood and limbs prone to breakage needs immediate attention.

CAN PRUNING CORRECT OVERGROWN ORNAMENTALS?

Because drastic cutback can promote weak growth, neglected ornamentals may take three to five years to renovate.This is especially true of crabapple and pear trees. Prune ornamentals when young to remove undesirable growth and maintain their handsome shapes.

ARE THERE SPECIAL PRUNING TECHNIQUES FOR CONIFERS?

Definitely, and they vary among species. Most important, new shoots do not readily grow from old wood, so care must be taken to avoid dieback. Experts know how to increase crown density, encourage compact growth and maintain each conifer's attractive shape. This must begin when the plant is young.

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO REDUCE TREE HEIGHT?

Crown reduction may be necessary to reduce the height and overall size of the crown or individual limbs, or to shape the crown and to reduce or redistribute weight to avoid breakage.

WHAT IS SPECIALTY PRUNING?

If a tree is blocking an appealing view, vista pruning will reduce or raise the tree crown, or thin out branches. Other specialty work is espalier pruning - the cutting and training of branches on a plane, often set against a wall, fence or trellis - and pollarding, which is removing the annual shoots back to a knot or" head." Pollarding is also done to provide a formal appearance.