Author: Diane Guidebeck

When it comes to maintaining a healthy, beautiful garden or landscape, the terms “pruning” and “trimming” are often used interchangeably. While they both involve cutting parts of plants, they are distinct practices with different goals, techniques, and outcomes. Understanding the differences between pruning and trimming is essential for every gardener or landscaper who wants to maintain plants’ health, shape, and appearance. 

Plants have a natural shape, but within the landscape different forms are used.  Understanding the natural shape whether mound, cane (forsythia and nandina)  or tree like. Cane plants spread by new shoots from the base. 

What is Pruning?

Pruning is a more specialized and deliberate process, often done for the overall health of the plant. It involves cutting away dead, diseased, or damaged branches and stems, as well as removing parts of the plant that may be growing in the wrong direction. Pruning is typically done on trees, shrubs, and certain perennials and is usually carried out during the plant’s dormant season—either in late fall or early spring—though some plants may need pruning during their active growing season. 

Calendars to know when to prune can be found at www.ext.vt.edu and other pruning publications. 

Objectives of Pruning:

1. Health of the Plant: Pruning helps remove diseased or damaged branches, preventing the spread of illness and allowing the plant to focus its energy on healthy growth.
2. Improved Airflow and Sunlight Exposure: By removing excess growth, pruning allows better airflow and sunlight penetration into interior of plant, which are essential for the plant’s overall well-being.
3. Shape and Structure: Pruning helps maintain or improve the shape and structure of the plant, encouraging stronger growth patterns and a more aesthetically pleasing form.
4. Encouraging New Growth: Some plants, like roses or fruit trees, benefit from pruning because it encourages the development of new shoots or fruit-bearing branches.

Common Tools for Pruning:

• Pruning shears
• Loppers
• Pruning saws
• Hedge shears (for larger shrubs or trees). Yes, even on trees!

What is Trimming?

Trimming is a more general term that refers to the routine cutting or clipping of a plant’s foliage, typically to maintain its size or appearance. Trimming is less invasive than pruning and focuses on the outer growth of the plant. It’s often done on hedges, bushes, and ornamental plants to ensure they remain neat and tidy.

Objectives of Trimming:

1. Aesthetic Appeal: Trimming is largely done for cosmetic reasons to maintain a neat and tidy appearance. It shapes and neaten edges without significantly impacting the plant’s overall health.
2. Control Size and Shape: Trimming is ideal for keeping bushes, hedges, and topiary plants in a particular shape or size, preventing them from becoming overgrown and unruly.
3. Routine Maintenance: Trimming is typically a more frequent task than pruning and can be done multiple times a year, depending on the plant’s growth rate.
4. Deadheading: Deadheading removes spent flowers and allows new growth and new flowers to flourish. 

Common Tools for Trimming:

• Hedge shears (manual or electric)
• String trimmers (for lawn edges)
• Pruning scissors (for smaller trimming tasks)
• Pruners

Key Differences Between Pruning and Trimming

• Prune your plants if they are diseased, damaged, or overgrown, or if you want to encourage new growth or improve the structure of a tree or shrub. Pruning is especially important for flowering or fruiting plants, as it helps boost their productivity.
• Trim your plants to maintain their appearance, control size, and keep them looking neat. Trimming is ideal for hedges, bushes, and ornamental plants that don’t need intensive care but require occasional maintenance to avoid becoming unruly.

Conclusion: Pruning and Trimming Go Hand-in-Hand

Both pruning and trimming are essential tools in plant care, but each serves a distinct purpose. Pruning is the more focused, health-driven process that encourages strong growth, while trimming is the routine maintenance practice to keep plants looking their best. By understanding the key differences between the two and knowing when to apply each technique, you can create a healthier and more visually appealing garden or landscape. Whether you’re looking to nurture your plants to their full potential or simply maintain their shape, mastering both practices will help you cultivate the garden of your dreams.

So you have high water bills? Would you like to lower those bills? This can be done during peak watering times and still maintain a beautiful garden. How so? With Xeriscaping.

This is not a new form of gardening, just the name is new to New England. The word is a derivative of xerophytes and landscaping. Xerophytes are a group of plants that are adapted to a limited amount of water supply and store water better. This may sound like a lot to accept, but with a little practice, patience and common sense your garden will be the talk of all who pass by. 

Given the reality of increasing water costs and limited water supply due to dry winters or whatever the reason, it makes sense to let Mother Nature help in achieving a once costly task to keep everything green and alive. The gardening practice of environments of the southwest and west coast can be adapted to New England and the good news is it can be done with local native species.  This form of gardening has a proven record of success in those arid regions with high water costs. 

It is relatively simple to have a natural landscape with low maintenance costs and still have the proper flow within the garden of color, form and texture. This, according to Garden Gate (June 1996), is done by seven simple steps.

1. Make a plan of the yard and indicate light, shading and slope habits. Then mark the area of desired garden by water habits of each garden i.e.; very-low, moderate water habits and areas requiring heavier water habits.  These areas should be kept small and close to the water source.
2. Working the soil for this area has a great impact on the plants health, so the soil should be nutrient-rich and hold water adequately, but not soggy.  The drainage of the soil is very important. The soil can be improved by working in humus, compost, clay and manure until the soil is rich and has good water retention without being soggy (who wants soggy roots?!).  This will ensure less bugs and insects are present over time, and less fertilizer is needed.
3. Reduce or replace lawn (if desired) although this goes against the American culture of rich, green lawns. Serious thought must be taken if water bill costs exceed the desired benefits of the lawn. The possible choice is a smaller section of lawn with multiple gardens laid out into a path, to stroll and enjoy. 
4. Plants of beauty and durability are listed below by categories of trees, shrubs, perennials, groundcover, grasses, ferns and vines. Each category is grouped by size and includes color, bloom time and fragrance and water habits, if applicable. 
5. Save your back! low maintenance is the solution to every gardener’s chronic problem. The introduction of new gadgets on the market help, but the back is very vulnerable. The solution is to create gardens that require lower maintenance and still have beauty. This allows the natural ecosystem of the plant community to adjust themselves by filling in dying plants as new plants move in. The garden is self-sustaining within its community.
6. Mulch has many advantages to the xeriscape. The moisture will be retained by the soil and not lost to transpiration to the air. In warmer climates, mulch reduces water loss and in colder climates it will protect the plants. The weeds will be kept down, so less weeding is needed. As time passes the mulch will decay into the soil and helps build the soil.  There are many types of mulch: shredded leaves, ground bark, stones and fabric (weed barrier). The acidity of some mulches must be checked for desired plants. Some mulches are higher in acidity than others, a word of advice, according to Garden Gate, is to move the mulch away from the base of plants by a few inches in the summer. 
7. Thrifty irrigation and timing of watering is important. Even with proper layout, some watering is required. The rule is to water when less evaporation is lost from the plants. This is done by watering at sunrise or sunset. The general rule to tell if plants are in need of water is to plant indicator plants that wilt when water is needed. The best plant for this is ferns. There are four water-efficient systems on the market or available in your own home. The conventional oscillating sprinklers lose 50% of what is dispensed through evaporation. The amount of adequate amount of water is one inch per week, as a rule of thumb. 
8. Drip irrigation will distribute water to the plant roots in the most efficient way to water when rain is scarce. This can be done with modified plastic milk jugs. This is done by punching a hole in the bottom and sinking them into the soil next to the plant and fill as needed. The other method is using perforated plastic hoses with fittings and timers. The more refined the system, the more efficient it works. 
9. The old fashioned reservoirs “cisterns” that our ancestors have used is a system that captures rainwater runoff. This is well suited for the garden, but not suitable for drinking water. The water is channeled from downspouts into drums, buckets or other holding tanks. 
10. The use of “gray water” from household wastewater (bath showers, sinks and tubs) are great source of nitrogen and phosphorous. These nutrients are lacking in sandy soils. The water must be used immediately and never stored. The only question in using this system is to check with your local town or city officials to determine if this is legal in your area. This water is not for vegetable gardens.
11. The method used on golf courses and many municipal landscapers and a few gardeners is by adding absorbents. These polymer water absorbents have been on the market for approximately 15 years. The polymer works much like clay. The polymer particles become gelatinous when wet, and can hold 10 to 500 times their weigh in water. The liquid polymers will biodegrade completely in five to ten years, according to the distributors.  The use of this product will double the holding capacity of the soil and often double the root mass of the plants. This also reduces the transpiration in plants and will improve germination. 

The cost savings of this method are worth the little patience and time spent to achieve a native, low-watering garden. The natural garden will also be enjoyed by birds and butterflies. The labor saved (and one’s back) will be enjoyed for years to come. The satisfactions of watching the xeriscape garden grow and decorate your yard, is worth the time.

SUGGESTED READING

Foley, Daniel J.. Gardening by the Sea from coast to coast, Pennsylvania, Chilton Book, 1965.

James, Theodore Jr.. Seaside Gardening, New Your: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1995.

Mattern, Victoria. “Water Wisdom” Organic Gardening” February 1990: 39-41.

Smittle, Delilah. “Xeriscape” Garden Gate June 1996: 10-13.

Does it look like this?

Ever wonder when is the time to prune roses for next season?  I find this therapeutic, bundle up, put earbuds in and it is just you and nature. Here’s how to winter prune roses effectively:

• Timing: Prune roses in late winter or early spring, just before new growth begins. This is usually around late February to early March, depending on your climate zone. Sometimes, based on weather, even November and later, depending on your planting zone.  You want to wait until the worst of the frost has passed, but before buds begin to break dormancy.
• Tools

• Pruning Shears: Use sharp, clean pruning shears to make smooth cuts.
• Loppers: Use sharp, clean loppers for thicker branches that can’t be cut with shears.
• Gloves: To protect your hands from thorns.  I find Goat Skin gloves are the most protective of all for handling our beautiful foe.
• Disinfectant Spray: Clean your tools before and after use to prevent disease spread. I like to use a bleach spray (1 part water to parts bleach).  Allow to dry before using.
• Inspect the Plant
• Look for Dead, Damaged, or Diseased Canes: Remove any canes that are blackened, dead, diseased, or damaged by frost. Start by removing all dead, damaged, or diseased canes all the way to the base. These will appear brown or black inside when cut.

• Check for Weak Growth: Thin, weak, or spindly growth should be cut back to encourage stronger new canes. If you notice any (sucker) shoots emerging from below the graft (the area where the rootstock and the rose variety are joined), remove them entirely.

Where to cut is critical.

• Cut Above a Bud: For healthy canes, prune just above a healthy outward-facing bud. This encourages the rose to grow outward rather than inward.

https://extension.unh.edu/resource/winter-protection-roses

Shaping the Plant: Aim for an open center to allow sunlight and air to reach the inner parts of the rose bush. This reduces the risk of disease.

https://www.gardengatemagazine.com/articles/how-to/prune/how-to-prune-roses

• Cutting the Main Stems: For hybrid tea roses, you generally want to cut back to about 12–18 inches above the ground, leaving 3 to 5 strong canes. For shrub roses, you may prune more lightly, shaping the bush without cutting it back as drastically.
• Maintain a Rounded, Open Shape: Aim to maintain the natural form of the rose while ensuring air circulation in the center of the plant. Cut away crossing canes and any growth that appears to be growing inward.
• Height Control: For some varieties, you can cut back the bush to about a third of its total height. For others, like climbing roses, prune lightly, focusing on dead or weak wood and shape.

NOTE: Clear Away Debris: After pruning, remove any dead leaves or fallen canes from around the base of the plant. This helps prevent fungal diseases.

• Mulch/Compost and Protection for winter: After pruning, and that the ground is frozen (this keeps plant in suspended hibernation).  I only bury the plant just over the crown base to insulate the roots and prevent frost damage. Then in the spring it is incorporated into the soil.

7. Additional Tips

• Climbing Roses: Prune climbing roses lightly, only removing dead or damaged wood. Major pruning should be done after the first major bloom.
• Tea Roses & Hybrid Roses: These often benefit from more severe pruning compared to shrub roses.
• Avoid Pruning During Severe Cold: Don’t prune during a cold snap, as it can stress the plants and invite damage.

By following these steps, you’ll help your roses grow strong and healthy, ensuring an abundant and beautiful bloom come spring.

AND NOW …

A HAPPY, HAPPY PLANT