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Gardening

Pruning – An Essential Consideration

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Shrubs are basically plants with much defined and individual characteristics. They come in different sizes and shapes. Some shrubs have woodier stems with divided branches some have small leaves while some others have flexible and soft stems. The stems of shrubs have an upward growth.

Some of the shrubs have the characteristic of sending out new, straight branches from the base. It is necessary to remove the tips of these stems. When this is done the lower buds are stimulated to grow. The lower buds are located at the nodes or point where leaves are attached to the branches and stems. Each point produces one to three buds.

Take the help of an experienced gardener:

Only an experienced gardener is able to understand the individual growth of plants, the plant types and their natural shapes. He has the right idea of pruning time for the plants. Different responses are elicited from plants when they are pruned in different seasons. Pruning helps the plant to concentrate its energy in the remaining parts as a result of which latent and dormant buds get activated to grow. Care should be taken while pruning a plant because this process involves the removal of the tips. It is hence important to decide the right season and time to prune plants as new tissues can be formed then.

Pruning depends on flowering time:

It is before midsummer that some shrubs like the Philadelphus and Forsythia flower need to be pruned. Such shrubs should be pruned once they flower to enable new growth. Before they bloom the following year, the new growth has enough time to mature. Some shrubs like Floribunda roses flower after midsummer. Such shrubs should be pruned in spring or winter and will bloom inn the next season once the new growth takes place. Evergreens can be pruned, shaped as well as smoothened, mid spring. It is only after the frost that young shoots would grow.

Some very old shrubs need to be cut at least 30 to 45 cm above the ground so that they get a new lease of life. For plentiful growth at least 50% of the plant should be cut in a year. In the next year the remaining branches can be cut, after which vigorous growth takes place. The best pruning time is before the bud blossoms. When bad weather and vandalism damages your plants, you should surely prune them, but be precise by using a pair of good, sharp secateurs.

Did you enjoy the article on weed killer for lawns??, Phil Caxton enjoys writing about grafting budding for lawnmania.com . A website with tips on pruning shrubs and grafting budding.

Gardening

How To Place Shrubs

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Shrubs have always been an attraction in any garden. Almost every garden boasts of having a few trees and a selection of various shrubs. Hydrangeas, lilacs and crabapples are some of the flowering ones which function as the main attraction in a garden along with the rest of the assorted trees and plants. Many of the flowering trees with their colorful flowers and height add grace to the entire landscape.

Boundaries can be the prefect location:

If you are thinking of creating a shrub area in your garden you can plant them along the borders on their own or as mixed borders – with other plants and perennial plants. For mixed borders you can use the rhododendron or ornamental pear shrub. They can be planted near the boundary of the garden as a ‘screen’. An obstruction or the corner of a building that detracts the beauty of the garden can be masked by a well positioned shrub or tree.

A huge shrub can also form a windbreak! When planted against the house they help in breaking the intensity of strong winds and keep the place shaded and cool too. Trees with denser leaf growth help in blocking harsh sun rays from entering the house. Compound walls or the wall of the house are enough for the wall shrub or climber to get on.

Create a focal point by growing a shrub:

Whether the shrub enhances the look of the building or not, depends on the architecture of the building. Walls add a new dimension to small gardens. Vines and climbers can be guided along to trail all over them. The garden bed is then free to grow different types of flowering trees plants and shrubs.

A shrub with colored and attractively shaped leaves can be planted in the lawn as a focal point. They can also be used for the purpose of ornamentation, preferably those which have no straggly branches and look attractively neat. If they are planted near a water body or a rock garden they look gorgeous. Some of them happily grow under the shade of bigger trees while some of them need open, sunny areas. A ground cover shrub also looks attractive when planted between larger trees and small plants, as they form a nice green carpet to sprawl on! Soil cultivation is not necessary and the ground cover shrub also helps in suppressing the growth of weeds.

Interested on prune climbers??, Phil Caxton , not only does this author specialize in prune climbers and grafting budding, you can also check out his website on for lawnmania.com . Read additional info about grafting budding or shrubs hedge at http://www.lawnmania.com/placement-of-trees-and-shrubs/