Shrub Pruning

Hand Pruning by Skilled Arborists

At SavATree, we prefer to prune shrubs by hand, rather than use power shears, because it allows our arborists to make careful, selective cuts that benefit the shrub’s health as well as its appearance. Hand-pruning gives the arborist access to the shrub’s interior as well as exterior branches, promoting growth throughout the plant. The precision of hand pruning improves the vitality of the shrub and enhances its natural growth and shape. (We will, of course, perform power shearing at the customer’s request.)

Shrub Pruning Techniques

In taking stock of your plantings and landscape, our arborists will determine which type of pruning will be both beneficial to the health of the shrub and aesthetically pleasing to you.

Thinning Shrubs

In this shrub trimming technique, branches are selectively removed at the base to open up the crown, maximize light penetration, and prevent the shrub from growing too large for its surroundings. This type of pruning is also performed to emphasize the larger stems and trunks if you are training your shrub to look like a small tree.

Rejuvenating Shrubs

Rejuvenation pruning is the term for cutting shrubs to ground level (or very low) in hopes of “rejuvenating” entirely new shrub growth. All tissue is removed at once including deadwood, diseased tissue and broken limbs. Just like perennials and ornamental grasses, many shrubs can be cut to the ground in early spring and new, healthier growth will follow. Rejuvenation is a crucial part of properly managing overall height and shrub size.

Shaping Shrubs

Pruning can return a shrub to its intended shape and aesthetic when it’s become overgrown (or has been the victim of bad pruning in the past.) We cut back or “head” branches to a point where they meet another branch or bud, keeping the cut at a 45-degree angle. If you desire a formal look, we trim back the new shoots by half in early summer to stimulate branching at the base. Then, in the fall, we trim all new growth back by half again and begin shaping the shrub by tapering the sides and making the top flat or rounded.

First, Do No Harm! Entrust Pruning to Professional Arborists

Yes, your shrubs can be harmed — often irreparably — by neglecting the pruning they need. But pruning that is performed improperly can be just as damaging to the shrub’s appearance and health. It can be tempting to try DIY pruning, but it’s very easy to overdo it, resulting in a loss of flower and fruit formation, or in killing the shrub entirely.

That’s why it is important to entrust the pruning of your shrubs to the qualified arborists at SavATree. They keep up-to-date on the most effective science-based pruning techniques. They have a thorough understanding of plant physiology. They have deep practical experience with a wide range of shrub species. They are equipped with the best tools, and know how to use them correctly.

SavATree arborists adhere to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for shrub and tree pruning, referred to as ANSI A300. The A300 standards are the generally accepted industry standards, and recommend or require everything from the exact cutting techniques and pruning methods arborists should follow, to the specific tools they should use for certain procedures.