Marathon Lawn Care is ready to cut to the chase with the best trimming and pruning tips for Cedar Park, North Austin, and Leander, TX.
Have you ever walked around your neighborhood and thought, what makes that one house have such great curb appeal? Could it be that the lawn is lush green, or the flowerbeds have amazing colors of red, yellow, and pink bursting from every corner, or could it be that every shrub and tree is trimmed to perfection? Of course, it may be a combination of all of the above, but when you have trees and shrubs that are well-maintained, it will take your yard to new heights along with enhancing the overall appearance of your home.
There are different methods used for keeping your trees and shrubs looking their best: pruning and trimming. When branches begin to block out the sunlight and rain and become overgrown, you want to trim back the branches. This will help with the aesthetics of your yard and also with the growth of the trees and shrubs. Whereas when you prune, you are stimulating the growth of your trees and plants. The other advantage of pruning is that it helps to remove any diseases that may have crept into your plants. Keep in mind whether you are trimming or pruning, having your yard properly maintained is the best way to have a spectacular curb appeal.
Top 10 Pruning and Trimming Tips that are sure to give you outstanding results!
1. The perfect time to prune shrubs and hedges is in late winter, as this is when they are not producing any buds and are dormant. If they are flowering shrubs, it’s best to wait until the last bloom turns brown in late spring before pruning. Keep in mind, if you prune flowering shrubs at just the perfect time, you will have a fabulous flower show the following year.
2. When it comes to what pruning tool to use, you may think they all cut the same, so why not use whatever you have tucked away in the shed. Not the best idea as depending on what you need to prune, having the right equipment can make all the difference in having a healthy growing season.
Most gardeners prefer using hand shears as they can cut up to ¾” in diameter. This is an excellent tool for hedges that are starting to grow and block out the sunlight, along with stunting their growth. You want to clip the branch at a 45-degree angle above the leaflet as this will help get the sunlight in and help it grow in a direction that will accent your yard. If you are looking for a more even cut and not cause damage to a branch, you may want to use a Bypass pruner as it has a sharp blade at the top with a lower blade that is unsharpened. The other pruning tools you may want to keep on hand are a lopping shear that cuts up to 1 ¾ diameter, which works great on larger branches, or a Pole pruner, which is the strongest tool that works the best on trees.
3. Have you ever heard of the term called the “4 Ds”? It’s what arborist refer to when talking about pruning a tree. The goal is to remove damaged, dead, diseased, and deranged branches from a tree. The best time to prune those beautiful Crepe Myrtles is late winter, whereas if you are pruning Mountain Laurels, they need to be pruned right after they bloom.
4. Depending on what area you will be trimming, you probably will use either a gas or cordless trimmer. If you have larger shrubs, then a gas trimmer will give you the best results, whereas a hand trimmer is a great way to trim up those hard-to-reach places around your landscaping. Always keep in mind having the right equipment is half the battle.
5. When trimming hedges, you always want to start at the bottom and work your way up, as this will give you a well-balanced design and get sunlight to the base of the plant, where the nutrients are needed the most.
6. One of the golden rules of trimming is the three-year rule. You need to go to the plant base, remove approximately one-third of the thickest stems, and repeat the process every year for the next three years; this will strengthen the plant and help it flourish for years to come.
7. You always want to have a slow and steady motion when trimming. The idea is to have the blade do most of the work and trim only a few inches at a time. You never want to just cut away without being aware of how much of the inner branches are being removed, as it can quickly damage the shrub.
8. One of the keys to trimming is you always want to make sure you take your time when removing any parts of shrubs or trees. The last problem you want is to find that you have chopped away at your favorite shrub and now have a gaping hole sitting in the middle of the plant. A great way to alleviate this is to trim an area, then take your hand, brush back the branches, and step back to see how it begins to fall into place.
9. Keeping safety first when working around your yard is a critical part of lawn maintenance. You always need to be aware of your surroundings and who may be close by, like your children or pets. Never leave equipment unattended, and always wear protective gear like gloves and goggles to keep safe from flying debris.
10. Now for the most cutting-edge tip on trimming and pruning, let our superior lawn maintenance team handle the job for you. We are ready to enhance your home and give it the perfect curb appeal. Our premium services include weed control, mulching, season cleanup, fertilization, edging, mowing, and holiday lighting.