Not so fast
I know, time is short in landscape maintenance and, perhaps, even in your own garden. So you gun it all down with your power shears and now you can cross mid-season pruning off your list. Great.
But in this blog I want to make a case for not treating trees and shrubs the same way. This occurred to me as I was cleaning up pruning debris at a large site and came to this:
I think we can we can do better here. Power shear all soft shrubs like dogwoods but when you come to a native vine maple tree (Acer cricinatum), stop, and put the shears down. Grab your snips or hand saw and make nice, clean cuts without peeling the bark. It’s better for the tree and it looks better. I find the picture above horrific. We can do better, professional work.
I’m not alone
I’m not alone in thinking we shouldn’t prune trees and shrubs the same way; I’ve met some desperate tree owners who periodically get their Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) power sheared. It’s so bad, they installed a note in their tree.
Now, in this case, the tree is a bit too close to the lawn and gate but why not just gently hand prune it? You can improve crew access and still leave the tree looking like a tree.
Japanese maples are beautiful trees and they’re not cheap. I totally understand the frustration the owners feel when they come home and find their specimen tree shredded. I suspect this kind of work would come with a prison sentence in Japan.
Slow down
Slow down when you’re getting through your mid-season pruning. Power shear softer shrubs like dogwoods but use hand snips or saws for trees. This way the trees will still look like trees without any shredded stubs or peeled bark.
The idea is to leave the landscape or garden looking great and healthy. So slow down and think about your targets before starting your power shears.
