There are many ways to maintain your garden. One way is pruning shrubs or trees. With the growing season in full force, pruning is an optimal way to get rid of any extra plant growth. For new gardeners, pruning may seem like a daunting task. Don’t despair because pruning is a cinch. Learn what you need to know when pruning.

Many new gardeners may ask, what garden tool do I use? What time of year do I prune? All these questions an many more will be covered here.

Essentially, pruning can be done all year round. Trees and shrubs are ideal to prune as they can be shaped into a decorative design. Now the best time to prune trees or shrubs really depends on how fast they grow.

Here’s a simple guideline to pruning:

1. Remove Any Dead Debris Or Branches – clean around the base of the plant, shrub or tree and then remove any dead plant that is still one the plant.
2. Thin out crowded areas – If you see dense patches where branches criss-cross or form at an odd angle, prune those back
3. When Pruning, Use A Pruning Sheer – This, by far, is the best garden tool for pruning. They come in different sizes so pick ones that suit the shrubs, trees and plants you have