Summer is here so now is the perfect time to get outside in your garden to take advantage of the sun and to take care of the various jobs that need to be done in your outdoor area. From removing weeds to mowing your lawn, there is much you can do to keep your garden looking ship-shape and healthy.
Pruning your bushes is one task that should be on your to-do list before new growth begins at the height of summer.
If you don’t prune your bushes, they could lose their shape and become infected with disease, and the overgrowth could stunt the growth of nearby plants.
When is the best time to prune bushes in the summer?
Generally speaking, you should prune and shape your bushes between March and July. When we get into August, it’s usually wise to stop pruning before new growth begins. This is especially true for flowering bushes as you need to give new shoots the chance to grow and toughen up before winter arrives.
For specific advice on when to prune your bushes, our team of experts at Mass Lawn Pros can take a look at what you have growing in your garden and advise you accordingly.
What tools are needed to trim bushes?
To trim your bushes, the best tools for the job are a set of long-bladed shears and an electric or gas-powered hedge trimmer. These can be purchased from most tool stores but before you go shopping, read tool reviews online to ensure you don’t waste money on something that isn’t up to the job.
When buying a hedge trimmer, be on the lookout for ergonomic features, such as adjustable cutting heads and extendable arms. These features will make your job easier as they are ideal for reaching awkward angles and high branches. A cordless hedge trimmer is recommended as you won’t have to worry about tripping over any wires and you won’t need to feed cords through your windows.
Be wary of buying shears or hedge trimmers second-hand. While you will save money when buying something that has been used before, you run the risk of buying something with dull blades that won’t give you the results you are looking for.
Other tools that will come in handy include:
- Secateurs, also known as pruning shears that are ideal for cutting off small bits of your bushes and hedges.
- Loppers, which are basically long-handled secateurs that are capable of tackling thicker branches (up to around 5cm in diameter).
- A curved saw which is ideal for thicker branches. For best results, use long, slow strokes to make use of the whole blade.
Don’t forget to wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from sharply cut branches, as well as gardening gloves to protect your hands from cutting or nicking.
Pruning tips
For the health and appearance of your bushes, several types of cuts can be recommended.
These include:
- Thinning – A thinning cut is the process of removing an entire limb, branch, or shoot. When you cut these off at the point of origin, more sunlight and air can get into the center of the bush, resulting in better interior growth and a reduced risk of disease.
- Heading – In contrast to thinning cuts, heading cuts remove only a portion of the limb, branch, or shoots. Heading cuts are carefully placed cuts – usually about 0.5cm above a bud – that discourage the main stem from growing any longer. Heading cuts encourage side growth as they allow for more vigorous fruit or flower growth from the remaining buds.
- Shearing – It’s recommended to shear bushes once a year and to use thinning and heading cuts the rest of the time to ensure long-term health and beauty. Shearing refers to the outermost layer of growth around the bush or plants and is done to improve the shape of the bush/plant for aesthetic purposes rather than the removal of dead branches or overgrowth.
When pruning your bushes, you should…
- Lay a tarp around your bushes – The purpose of this is obvious – it makes clean-up easier after you have finished and alleviates the risk of unwanted pests who may be attracted by your bush and hedge trimmings.
- Place a stake on both sides of the bush – Tie a string between the stakes and use this as the reference height when pruning your bushes.
- Assess the shape of your bush – Checking the shape will let you know where you need to cut to ensure an even trimming. Continue to assess the shape at regular intervals as if the bush is leaning too much to the left or right, you will need to make the necessary adjustments when trimming.
- Get rid of damaged or dead branches first – Not only do these ‘bad’ branches affect the appearance of your bush but they also encourage rot and disease.
- Avoid flattop bush pruning – By this we mean, avoid cutting off the branch tips only. While this will make your bush look presentable for a while, it can stimulate growth on the outer branches, causing them to grow into an unnatural (and aesthetically unappealing) shape.
- Work your way up the bushes – Cut the bottom of your bushes in smooth, even strokes, and remove 2-8cm at a time to avoid over-cutting. Work your way upwards and make sure the base of your shrub is the widest and the top is the narrowest to promote good foliage cover.
When to hire an expert
If you don’t have the right equipment or if you are unsure of the best way to trim your bushes, you should hire a professional landscaper. This is also recommended when you are unsure of the best time of year to prune your bushes or if you have a large-scale project that you are unable to tackle alone.
Finding an expert is easy – simply type ‘pruning companies near me’ in Google. Alternatively, benefit from the help the experts at Mass Lawn Pros can offer you. For pruning quotes and to learn more about what we can do for you, call us at (781) 835-8864 or use our contact form to get in touch with us today.
