7 pruning basics

Whether you're pruning a hedge or a flowering bush, here are 7 basic tips to keep in mind for the best results and healthiest plants.

Developing new suckers is the way some shrubs grow.

• To prune forsythias, shrubby dogwoods, deutzia, kerria and nandina, select entire stems for removal instead of cutting back the tips of long stems.
• Pruning older canes at the base allows the new growth more room to develop.

Pruning cuts on woody growth should be almost flush with the "branch collar" — the swollen or wrinkled area close to where the branch joins the trunk or a larger limb.

• Keeping the collar intact helps the plant produce a protective callus, which is how woody plants heal.

• Whenever possible, prune to just above a bud that faces a direction in which you want the branch to grow.
• Usually, this is an outward-facing bud.

The new branches will grow out and give the tree or shrub an open shape. Buds or branches facing inward will grow that way, blocking sun and fresh air and making pest control more difficult.

• Newly planted hedges can tolerate a severe pruning after the first year of growth.

The hedge will thicken out much more quickly as each shrub pushes out vigorous new shoots.

• When trimming the top edge of a hedge, drive a stake at each end and tie a string between the stakes at the desired height.
• Then simply follow the line to make an even cut.

• Keep a sheared hedge full at the bottom by pruning at a slight angle, with the base slightly wider than the top.

This will allow sunlight to reach the bottom branches, resulting in a greener, fuller hedge.

A tarp spread under the shrubbery when pruning will save you the trouble of finding and raking up all the clippings. Just bundle them up and take them to the compost pile.