Garden Pruning Basics

The 2 basic pruning cuts for pruning any plant. http://www.douggreensgarden.com/pruning.html the two basic cuts are a heading cut, and thinning cut. The thinning cut removes any branch or shoot from where it's darted as a bud. so if you track the shoot or branch back to where it started, and cut there, this is a thinning cut and removes all of the branch. If done properly, the branch tends not to resprout. For other information, go to http://www.douggreensgarden.com

A heading cut cuts a sprout or branch at any place along its growth, as long as it is not back at the bod where it started. Leaving the shoot or branch behind the cut promotes new growth from dormant buds. When these buds grow the plant thickens up.

So to open up the plants, you use thinning cut. To thicken up the plants, you use a heading cut.

This is the same rule for almost all plants in the garden. There are very very few plants that this does not apply to. So no matter whether you're talking about rasp berries, hydrangea, fruit trees, tomatoes, garden shrubs or annual flowers these two cuts are the ones you'll use.

The last thing I want to add here is that plants are resilient, they'll take a significant amount of abuse and regrow. This means, do not be afraid to prune and experiment with pruning. If you want to experiment, the easiest plants to work with and learn from our annual geraniums. You can practice the two cuts and see the results within a week or two.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• gardening
• pruning
• gardens
• shrubs
• tomatoes
• trees
• hydrangeas
• roses
• organic
• diy
• tips

[ubertuber2011]

Thank you.

This video must have made 44,000 odd people dart with their shears to the garden...busy pruning, they forget to thank you :)

and two people are just jealous.

[headgardener2u]

@ubertuber2011 glad you enjoyed the video - not sure about the jealous part but... :-)

[mickatie2001]

Thank you... this was the first pruning advise I've seen that is clear, simple, and easy to understand and follow. I'm sure my plants will thank you!

-A beginner gardener

[headgardener2u]

@mickatie2001 glad you found it useful - thanks for telling me

[todormollov]

looks so easy in theory. When I stood up in front of my rose bushes they looked so tangled.