In contrast to many trees, whose crowns generally no longer need pruning after a few years of growth, many shrubs need to be pruned regularly. The natural structure should be preserved as much as possible, although targeted cuts can significantly influence flowering and fruit yield. You can find out how and when to carry out such a maintenance cut in this article.
What cutting groups are there when cutting trees and shrubs?
When cutting trees and bushes, trees are divided into cutting groups: 1) No maintenance pruning, 2) Regular thinning, 3) Heavy pruning in spring, 4) Pruning after flowering and 5) Pruning for hedge plants. Depending on the cutting group, the cutting method and the time of pruning varies.
Division of trees into cutting groups
The implementation of a maintenance cut depends on the structure and flowering behavior of the respective tree. For practical reasons, the trees and shrubs are assigned to different cutting groups, which we will explain in more detail below.
Pruning group 1: No maintenance pruning necessary
All tree-shaped species belong to this group. For them, training and development pruning has usually already been carried out in the tree nurseries and is only necessary in the first few years of growth. Woody plants in this group often develop harmoniously even without pruning, so that only thinning and the removal of dead and broken wood may be necessary. In addition to many summer and evergreen deciduous trees, all conifers also belong to this group.
Cutting group 2: Regular thinning necessary
Many deciduous shrubs initially form unbranched long shoots near the ground year after year, which branch out and begin to bloom the following year. The branching continues in the following years, with the branches becoming shorter and shorter and the number and size of the flowers slowly decreasing. Typically, sections of branches or even entire plants age. To prevent this, some of the oldest branches should be cut out to the ground every two to three years. Radical cutting back to short stumps is often possible.
Pruning group 3: Heavy pruning in spring
This group includes shrub species that produce their flowers from early summer to autumn at the ends of this year's long shoots. Here you cut back all last year's branches down to the shortest possible branch stubs.
Pruning group 4: Pruning after flowering
These are tree and shrub species whose flowers are planted on the long shoots of the previous year and which bloom in spring. By regularly pruning straight after flowering, you can ensure plenty of flowers in the coming year.
Pruning group 5: Pruning hedge plants
The cultivation of a hedge begins with young plants. They need to be pruned heavily on a regular basis, with the main pruning taking place in winter. Summer cuts, on the other hand, should only be carried out from the end of July in order not to disturb breeding birds. A hedge will develop best if the side walls are not cut vertically, but in a trapezoid shape.
Tip
The respective cutting group and thus the instructions for correct pruning are often indicated on the plant labels.
