Nature is a master gardener and pruner extraordinaire. Just visit an orchard in early summer. If the fruit set is unusually heavy, you’ll see hundreds of little apples or peaches on the ground. Trees drop the extras when they lack the resources to develop them to maturity. And look around you in winter. Snow, high winds, and ice storms prune by snapping off weak old branches.
In gardens and in the wild, rabbits, mice, deer, elk, moose, beavers, and porcupines prune — just not in ways we consider horticultural achievements. They’re eating at their favorite restaurants, but in doing so, they fit into the scheme of life. Let’s face it: if you don’t prune, Nature will! Over time, people have observed Nature’s pruning methods and tried to improve on them because pruning — when properly done — strengthens rather than weakens trees. Here are the answers to your most pressing pruning questions. Pruning is a balance between art and science, between a plant’s essential form and your pruning goal or the effect you want to achieve. Remember, a well-maintained landscape with handsome trees and shrubs brings pleasure to you and your neighbors, and adds value to your home and community.