Guide to Pruning for Beginners

A few minutes spent pruning is one of the best things you can do for the plants in your yard, but it's one of the most neglected tasks around the home. Why? Because for most of us, it's a black art. The risks of butchery seem high, and the rewards low. The necessity for pruning can be reduced or eliminated by selecting the proper plant for the location. Plants that might grow too large for the site, are not entirely hardy, or become unsightly with age should be used wisely and kept...
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A few minutes spent pruning is one of the best things you can do for the plants in your yard, but it's one of the most neglected tasks around the home. Why? Because for most of us, it's a black art. The risks of butchery seem high, and the rewards low. The necessity for pruning can be reduced or eliminated by selecting the proper plant for the location. Plants that might grow too large for the site, are not entirely hardy, or become unsightly with age should be used wisely and kept to a minimum in the landscape plan. Advances in plant breeding and selection in the nursery industry provide a wide assortment of plants requiring little or no pruning. However, even the most suitable landscape plants often require some pruning. The guidelines presented in this publication should be helpful when pruning any plant.