Bush Pruning Tips For Healthier Bushes Family Handyman This heavier blunt blade is one reason this tool is able to cut branches more than 1 in. thick. first, file along the factory bevel. file the edge of the pruning blade using two hands. start at the point and follow the curve of the factory bevel. make one complete stroke from the point to the base of the blade. Garden scissors are best for pruning soft, thin stems, such as those found on herbs and houseplants. bypass pruners have two blades that cut like scissors. use on live plant stems less than 1 4 in. in diameter. anvil pruners have a blade that smashes into a plate. use on dead plant stems less than 1 4 in. in diameter.
Bush Pruning Tips For Healthier Bushes The Family Handyman If you’re installing a shrub bed from scratch, amend the soil beforehand with compost and composted cow manure. dig a hole as deep as the root ball but twice as wide. place the shrub and backfill the soil, tamping lightly to settle it. add an organic mulch, such as shredded leaves or wood chips. then water generously. Tip: when pruning bushes, remember what some arborists call the “4 ds.”. This basic maintenance pruning should have you cutting back each stem to a bud that is between six and 10 inches above ground level. cut back weak growth more severely than stronger stems, and to encourage the replacement of old wood with new, cut one of two main stems of oldest wood right down to the base. For smaller branches, cut back to an outward facing bud or intersecting branches. to cut any branch over 1 1 2 inches in diameter, use a pruning saw or bow saw to make a 3 part cut: the first cut should be placed underneath the branch, about 6 to 12 inches from the trunk. only cut about 1 3 of the way through.
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