Master the Art of Pruning-Guide for Beginners
Pruning is nothing new. It is a common practice of seasoned gardeners to maintain strong steady growth in plants by stimulating the vigorous growth of new shoots. Pruning rejuvenates old or neglected shoots, enhances plant shape and flowering ( in the case of flowering plants)…but hang on a second.
What the heck is pruning? And why is it important?
Pruning is basically cutting or trimming away dead or new shoots of the plant to encourage healthy growth. Cutting back your plants can be quite alarming, for some people it can be a brutal act but fret not! Remember it’s necessary and your plant will definitely grow back healthier.
Now, before we list down some of the best ways to prune your plants, first, let’s quickly understand why, when, and how to prune.
Why Prune?
Here are some good reasons to prune your plants, remember every cut made to a plant must have a valid purpose.
- Encourages lateral branching
- Avoids the spread of disease
- Controls size of the plant
- Makes management of crops easy
- Improves light and air circulation within the plant
- Improves the quality as well as quantity of flowers and fruits
When to prune?
Knowing when to prune is essential to get maximum benefits. Prune timings much depend on the type of plant, pruning objectives, and also the seasons. Usually, pruning should be done soon after seasonal growth is complete. Winter and late fall is often the best time to prune as most of the plants remain dormant in winter, pruning them leads to vigorous growth after dormancy. Plants are not pruned during fall as the cut takes a long time to heal and can be an easy target to spread and cause fungal infection.
How to prune?
Pruning plants to develop a strong and stable structure should be the most important objective of any grower. Cut off the outgrown, diseased or dead branches at a slight angle, leaving the lateral buds to grow and develop new branches to eliminate rubbing or poorly placed branches. Cut only 10-20% of the plant. Do not over prune your plant as it can make it difficult to grow back. Wait for a few weeks to prune the plants again.
Pruning Tips:
- Use clean and sharp pruning tools.
- Avoid pruning during wet conditions.
- Fertilize the plant after pruning in their growing season, during winter when the plants are dormant do not fertilize.
_That’s really all there is to it! If you have any questions, please leave us a comment, and we’ll do our best to help you. Happy growing! 🙂_
