Five Common Pruning Mistakes, and How to Fix Them

Fine Gardening Editors, editor

44 users recommend

Have you ever pruned so ineptly that your tree or shrub looks like a caricature? Well, don't despair. Help is at hand for five common pruning disasters.

Danielle Sherry

You needn't weep for this weeping cherry, a victim of Mistake #3. It can be restored to its natural form with a few well-placed cuts.

courtesy of Erik Draper

Is this the best way to keep a tree small? Probably not. See Mistake #4 for the solution.

courtesy of Erik Draper

Have you ever pruned so ineptly that your tree or shrub looks like a caricature? Well, don't despair. Help is at hand for five common pruning disasters.

Photo: Danielle Sherry

Add Comment
Print

There is nothing less noticeable than an excellent pruning job. But on the flip side, there is nothing more noticeable than a poorly pruned plant. Pruning is a science and an art. The science involves recognizing plant flaws and skillfully
eliminating or minimizing these defects. The artistic end involves removing these bad parts or pieces with a disguised grace so that the plant appears unmarred and untouched. As gardeners, though, we sometimes forget about one of these aspects when pruning, and that’s when we make mistakes.

Everyone can relate to that feeling of panic after making a cut and realizing that you’ve just ruined the shape of your shrub. Or perhaps you’ve ignored a plant’s obvious structural problem because you were afraid or unsure of what pruning action to take. Improper pruning can lead not only to ugly plants but also to liability in the landscape. There is some recourse, thankfully, for these errors in pruning judgment.

Here’s are links to the five pruning mistakes I see most often and advice on how to fix them to save your plants and your sanity.

Pruning mistake #1
You keep snipping the tips of your plants to keep them in check.

Pruning mistake #2
Your conifers are out of control in summer, so you cut back the longest branches.

Pruning mistake #3
You shear your weeping cherry tree so that it looks like it has a Beatle haircut.

Pruning mistake #4
The tree in the front yard is too tall, so you chop off the top to make it stop growing up.

Pruning mistake #5
You decide not to prune.

Add Comment Print

Video: How to Prune Raspberies

Back to List

A Gardener's Checklist for Early Spring

Comments (4)

tatwood writes: loischen: Excellent points. I would add:

Never prune when you're angry! (like after that fight with your spouse). Bad things happen. Posted: 10:14 am on February 20th

loischen writes: I was very impressed with this pruning summary.
I have a few additional mistakes that peole make which I would like to add to the list of do's and don'ts.
Don't prune when you are tired, or distracted.
Dont' prune when you are drinking or drunk.
Don't prune at dusk or early morning when there is not enough light.
Don't prune when there are children around.
Use first class, sharp tools that do the job quickly and efficiently.(bypass for live wood, anvil for dead.)
Don't let a neighbor or friend prune for you unless they know as much or more than you know about how to do it.
Posted: 4:34 pm on February 8th

tatwood writes: 1000islandkathy - usually, yes, and early spring is the best time. However, if your lilac is very old, and of the type that is single-stemmed and tree-like, it could be a fatal error, since some old varieties don't have a lot of dormant buds to re-sprout. But most lilacs are very vigorous, with multiple stems of varying sizes. If this describes your lilacs, by all means cut them back to 8 to 12 inches. If you'd prefer a less aggressive approach, plan to remove a third of the oldest (thickest) stems over the next three years. After three years, your lilac will be completely rejuvenated and you won't have to look at a mound of ugly stubs in the meantime. Also, lilacs bear many dormant buds along their woody stems. You can cut them back to any height you'd like and you will get new growth from that point. Again, early spring, or right after flowering, is the best time for this. Lilacs flower on old growth, so if you prune before flowering you'll remove the flower buds. But if you don't mind losing this spring's blooms, go ahead and prune. When I want to clean up an older lilac, I start by removing the oldest stems at ground level. Then I remove any stem smaller than a pencil, then thin out and cut back the remaining growth. Any branch that's damaged or diseased should be removed as soon as noticed. I also remove branches growing toward the inside of the shrub. Lilacs are very forgiving, so go for it! Posted: 10:04 am on February 6th

1000islandkathy writes: Is it okay to cut very old overgrown lilacs to the ground
Posted: 9:30 am on February 6th

You must be logged in to post comments. Click here to login.