In contrast to many trees, whose crowns usually no longer need pruning after a few years of growth, many shrubs require regular pruning. The natural structure should be preserved as far as possible, although targeted cuts can have a significant impact on flowering and fruit yield. This article tells you how and when to carry out such a maintenance cut.
When pruning a tree, pay attention to the cutting group
Classification of trees and shrubs into pruning groups
Carrying out a maintenance cut depends on the structure and flowering behavior of the respective tree. For practical reasons, the trees and shrubs are assigned to different pruning groups, which we will explain in more detail below.
Cut group 1: No maintenance cut necessary
All tree-like growing species belong to this group. With them, training and growth cuts have usually already been carried out in the tree nurseries and are only necessary in the first few years anyway. Trees and shrubs in this group often develop harmoniously even without pruning, so that only thinning and the removal of dead and broken wood may be necessary. In addition to many deciduous and evergreen deciduous trees, all conifers also belong to this group.
Cutting group 2: Regular thinning necessary
Year after year, many deciduous shrubs initially form unbranched long shoots close to the ground, which branch out and begin to flower the following year. The branching continues in the following years, with the branches becoming shorter and the number and size of the flowers slowly decreasing. Typically, parts of branches or even entire plants age. To prevent this, some of the oldest branches should be cut down to the ground at intervals of two to three years. A radical pruning down to short branch stumps is often possible.
Pruning group 3: Heavy pruning in spring
This group includes shrub species that plant their flowers from early summer to autumn at the ends of this year's long shoots. Here you cut back all previous year's branches to the shortest possible twig stumps.
Pruning group 4: pruning after flowering
These are tree and shrub species whose flowers are attached to the long shoots of the previous year and which bloom in spring. Regular, strong pruning immediately after flowering will ensure a rich bloom in the coming year.
Pruning group 5: pruning of hedge plants
The training of a hedge begins with young plants. They require regular heavy pruning, with the main pruning occurring in winter. Summer pruning, on the other hand, should only be carried out from the end of July so as not to disturb breeding birds. A hedge will develop best if the side walls are not cut vertically but in a trapezoidal shape.
tips
The respective cutting group and thus the information on the correct pruning is often indicated on the plant labels.