After the snow storm I went out and took a look at the trees and shrubs in my yard.  I didn’t have any broken limbs, but if you did, here are some tips to maintain the plants health. Make a clean cut. When a limb on a tree or shrub breaks from the weight of the snow or ice, it leaves a jagged edge where it breaks off. The jagged edge makes it easier for disease to get into the wound and start to decay the wood.  By making a clean cut just above a side branch or just outside of the branch collar, the tree will be able to heal the wound easier with less chance of a fungal or bacterial infection causing problems.

This is the time of the year when I get calls about pruning trees and shrubs. When is the best time to prune whatever tree or shrub? Here is a basic rule to follow, however,  this rule doesn’t apply to every plant, but it certainly applies to most.

If the plant blooms early in the spring like fruit trees, flowering pear trees, quince, camellia, azalea, rhododendron and others, then wait until after the plant blooms before pruning. Plants that bloom early in the spring set their flower buds in the fall and pruning will remove those flowers from the plant.

The purpose for pruning most plants is to open the canopy to more light and air flow. Remove no more than 1/3 of the limbs from a plant. The limbs that are removed should help open the canopy for better light penetration and air flow to prevent diseases and increase flower production.