Why Pruning Your Plants Is Important

Nature has always been an excellent addition to home design – both inside and out. For instance, we try to incorporate as much wood and natural stone as possible into our living spaces. Ever wonder why wood floors and stone countertops remain a must-have for many homeowners? Outside, we plant trees and flowering shrubs so that we have something more pleasing to look at than the side of our neighbor’s house or the traffic on the street. A well-maintained landscape is the closest thing we have to live among nature without giving up any of our modern conveniences.

But as much as we love greenery in the backyard, we can’t very well leave them to their own devices. Nature is nature whether it’s in the suburbs or in the mountains. To stop foliage from growing wild and taking over your property, make sure to prune them accordingly. The trusted landscaping expert in the area, Backyard Reflections, shares some of the reasons plants need pruning.

Encourages Plant Health

Pruning is an integral part of landscape design and maintenance. By removing damaged, dead, or dying branches and stubs from the plant discourages pest and animal infestation while allowing for new growth. But pruning requires proper timing. Pruning to remove damaged and diseased parts can be done any time of the year, but you should also take the type of plant you’re pruning into account, along with the severity of the pruning needed. It’s never a good idea to assume that every plant on your property needs pruning – you should always have a reason why you’re doing it.

For good plant health, make sure to prune:

• Wood that’s damaged or dead – always.
• Branches that rub against each other.
• Branches with weak and unnatural branch-union angles – are prone to breaking.
• Trees and plants in late winter or early spring before the onset of new growth.
• Flowering plants and ornamental fruit trees immediately after blooming to maximize their flowering next year.

Keeps You and Your Property Safe

Good landscape design is characterized by healthy foliage. But if allowed to grow wild, they not only create an unsightly mess in your property but also compromise your safety as well. We don’t always think about those large tree branches in fair weather, but they’re something to be wary about during a storm. Regular pruning reduces storm damage to your property, helping keep you and your home safe against serious impact damage caused by falling branches. By thinning the foliage as necessary, you can also limit the cover or habitat options of pests, vermin, and snakes. The last thing you want is to step on something’s tail when crossing your backyard.

You can prune for safety by:

• Removing branches and plants that interrupt walkways. 
• Getting rid of any branches that are already closing in on your home. These include those hanging over the roof and gutters, and those touching the siding.
• Sawing tree limbs that are interfering with power lines and blocking the line of sight at driveways and street intersections.
• Curbing plants, especially those with thorns, that are starting to grow past your fences and into the sidewalk.
• Taming plants and trees that are growing into someone else’s yard. Be a good neighbor – and avoid conflict or a lawsuit – by keeping your plants in your own property.

Maintains Your Desired Plant Shape and Size

You’ll want to make sure your plants and trees are properly scaled in regards to the size of your property – and pruning can help with that. It limits the growth of the foliage so that it doesn’t end up towering over your roof or blocking that amazing view you have. Pruning also makes maintenance a little bit easier because it allows you to maintain the planned layout of your landscape by controlling the shape and size of your plants and trees. The result is an outdoor living space that remains lovely and orderly no matter the season.

Keep in mind that each plant and shrub has its own distinct form. When pruning them, make sure that their shape remains as close to their natural pattern as possible. This is not only more pleasing to the eye, but it’s also less time-consuming. You’re also free to prune off the lower branches of plants and shrubs so you can show off an attractive bark pattern or an interesting stem formation. This type of technique is called lifting, and it encourages symmetry and maintains the natural look of the trimmed plant. On a more practical side, lifting is also done to create headroom for parked cars, entryways, and pedestrians.

Other Types of Pruning

There are several methods of pruning foliage in your property, and each one serves a different purpose. For instance:

• Thinning is a procedure that involves removing the branch from its point of origin to manage plant growth and enhance access to sunlight.
• Topping is considered a drastic method because it involves pruning most of the branches down to the trunk. This is done to “train” young trees into growing a certain way or shape.
• Reducing is exactly what it sounds like: trimming back the tree or plant’s volume for safety reasons, such as freeing up space to accommodate power lines.

Skip the DIY When Pruning Your Foliage

Many plants, trees, and shrubs can be pruned without issues, and most even do just fine without it. However, the task also comes with certain risks. As we’ve mentioned before, pruning should be done correctly and at the right time. If you’re unsure about what you’re doing, it might be a better idea to hire a trusted local professional for the job. For homeowners in Wright County, there’s only one outdoor living expert to call: Backyard Reflections. We’ll take the stress out of your landscape maintenance with our exceptional solutions. 

Our leadership and landscape maintenance division has done so for over 20 years and we’ll never let you down now. No matter how big or small, Backyard Reflections will effectively handle all your needs. Do you need one-time landscape cleanup or plant and tree pruning? We’ve got you covered in the best way. From the initial consultation through project completion, you can count on us to deliver a smooth and worry-free experience.

Quality Landscape Maintenance Like No Other

Keep your plants healthy and thriving by turning to Backyard Reflections for high-quality landscape maintenance solutions. Combining superior workmanship and customer-focused service, we’ll make sure your needs are met to the best results. Call us today at (320) 274-6336 (Annandale) or (218) 454-1065 (Nisswa). You may also fill out this contact form to schedule your consultation. We remain the leading source of exceptional landscaping services in Nisswa and Annandale, MN.