Volumes have been written on the art and science of pruning. Theories have been advanced, disputes have erupted and blood has flowed. My own soap box on the subject is rather large and I have even been accused of "pontificating." So this is my first effort at reform: I will attempt to keep my messages short (Well, most of the time.) and try to avoid impressing you with my Latin. Mainly I hope to make pruning a little less threatening and a good bit more fun. Next to design itself, pruning is the most enjoyable part of my job and I wish I could do a lot more of it.
So why prune in the first place? Because you want to have a green elephant in your yard, obviously. Topiary is an extreme example of one of pruning's three main purposes: to control a plant's shape to make it more graceful and attractive in our eyes.
Second, we prune to improve the health of the plant -- to trim away storm or winter damage, to control or contain insect or disease damage, improve air circulation, and make it easier for the plant to rejuvenate itself.
And finally, we prune to control size. In residential landscapes plants, especially trees and shrubs become real architectural elements like the size and shape of your house or whether your garage is in front or back. Whether thought through or not, plants have assigned spots, sizes and shapes in your yard. Unfortunately, unlike your trusty tool shed, plants grow. Worse than that, they frequently do not grow the way we think they should.
I am enthusiastic about reason number two for pruning -- plant health. This is not done nearly enough. I am not averse to reason one -- shaping -- in judicious amounts, but far too much time is wasted on it in America. But the annual battle to force plants to be smaller than they want to be is one of the great scandals of our horticulture.
I better pause here before I slip into pontificating.
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