Landscape
Pruning Trees
The appearance of a properly pruned plant is like a good
hair cut: hardly noticeable at first glance.
Presented by
Dr. Teri Hamlin
Georgia Department of Education
Pruning
 Pruning at Planting:
 If quality plant stock, pruning is not
necessary
 Do not prune to compensate for root
loss
 latest research show pruning does not
help overcome transplant shock
Why Prune
 Removal of dead, broken, diseased, or
insect-infested branches
 Maintain desired shape & size (make it
look natural)
 Promote healthy vigorous growth
 Promote flowering & fruiting
 Allow air and light to enter the interior
of the plant.
Pruning
Tools
Sharp
&
Sterile
Pruning Tools
 Hand Shears: branches up to ½” in diameter
 Lopping Shears: branches ½ to 1 ½” in diameter
 Pruning Saw: branches larger than 1 ½” in diamter
 Chain Saw: branches larger than 3”
 Pole Pruner: long-handled pruner to reach into canopy w/o a
ladder. (power pole pruner)
 Hedge Shears: hedges and other shrubs up to ½” in diameter
 Grass shears: 2 blades designed to cut grass around edges of
walks or flower beds.
Making the Cut
Directional Pruning- cuts should
be about ¼ in above bud or beyond branch
collar
Making the Cut
Pruning Technique
 Heading
 Removes a part of a
shoot
Thinning
Removes the entire shoot
or limb
Pruning Technique
Thinning Selectively
cutting oldest branches to ground opens
center and promotes new growth
Pruning Technique
Heading
 Use for small leaf
hedges
 Creates dense, tight
foliage
Rejuvenating/Renewal
• Restore overgrown
shrubs
• Cut all branches 4-8”
above ground
• If there are any diseased
or dead plants you
should remove them
first.
Crown Thinning
 No more than one-fourth of the
living branches should be removed at
one time
Crown Raising
• Remove branch from
bottom to provide
clearance
• After pruning the ratio
of living crown to total
tree height should be at
least two-thirds
Crown Reduction
Ratio of live crown to total
tree height should be at least
two-thirds
Never cut main
branches of
tree back to
stubs
(Topping Trees)
 A. Remove suckers
 B. Low Growing Branches
interfere w/maintenance
practices
 C. Upright growing shoots
or waterspouts
 D. Inward growing branches
 E. Branches that compete
with a central leader
Pruning Young Tree
Large Limbs
 A. Make partial cut from underneath
 B. Make a second cut from above several
inches out
 allows the limb to fall
 C. Complete job with final cut just
outside the branch collar
Pruning Limbs
An Improper Cut
made through the
branch collar will
take 3x longer to
heal
Pruning Time
General Rule
• Trees & Plants that flower before May
– Prune after bloom
• Dogwood, Redbud, Saucer Magnolia, Flowering
Cherry
• Azalea, Forsythia, Rhododendron, Clematis, Climbing
roses
• Trees & Plants that flower after May
– Prune prior to spring growth
• Chaste Tree, Crape Myrtle, Sourwood
• Camellia, Nandina, Sweetshrub, Abelia, Floribunda
roses
North Carolina Pruning Time
 January - March
 Broadleaf evergreen
 Needleaf evergreen
 Renewal Pruning
 Large Tree Limbs
Pruning Paint
“Placebo” - making the user feel good
Research shows that paint or wound dressings do not
stop decay nor cause the wound to close faster
Successful Pruning
 Correct Tools
 Correct Time
 Correct Technique
www.planitdiy.com/how-to-prune-trees-and-shrubs/
What To Prune?
 On your Pruning Worksheet put a line through the parts of
the tree or shrub that you feel should be pruned and tell why.
 Mark in pencil so you can make corrections if needed.
Plant #1:
Create a central leader on this young
plant.
Plant #2:
Allow plant to have a higher canopy
Plant #3:
Open the Canopy