Pruning vs Trimming Shrubs: What’s the Difference
Pruning vs Trimming Shrubs: What’s the Difference?
Even subconsciously, the state of your landscaping can have a big impact on how your guests view your home - it’s the first thing people see when they visit your property! So, keeping your yard clean and well-manicured goes a long way toward creating a good first impression.
If you have shrubs, it’s important to keep them neat and tidy - shrubs that are out of control can make your property look uncared for or even abandoned. So, how do you keep your shrubs in check, and what’s the difference between pruning vs trimming shrubs?
In this article, we’ll explain what you need to know about caring for your shrubs. Be warned, though - learning the proper pruning and trimming techniques for shrubs takes a lot of time and effort, and you won’t become an expert overnight, or even in a year.
That’s why your home’s landscaping is best left to the seasoned experts at Michaelangelo’s. Our Alpharetta landscaping services will give you a yard you’re proud of, increasing your home’s curb appeal and keeping your shrubs and trees healthy at the same time.
Is Pruning and Trimming Shrubs the Same Thing?
First of all, what’s the difference between pruning and trimming? Aren’t they the same thing? Although they’re often used interchangeably, there are distinct differences between pruning vs trimming shrubs. Let’s take a look.
What is Pruning?
Pruning is primarily a health-focused task. It involves selectively cutting away dead, diseased, or overgrown branches to promote growth and prevent damage. By removing problematic parts of the shrub, pruning allows sunlight and air to reach the interior of the plant.
This encourages new growth and prevents issues like rot or pest infestations. Pruning is typically done less frequently than trimming and is essential for long-term plant health, shaping, and controlling the size of shrubs.
What is Trimming?
Trimming is more about aesthetics and maintaining the desired shape of your shrubs. It involves cutting back overgrown areas to give the plant a neat, well-manicured appearance. Trimming is typically done more frequently than pruning and focuses on shaping the plant to match the look of your landscape.
While it doesn’t have the same impact on plant health as pruning, trimming plays a vital role in enhancing the overall visual appeal of your shrubs and ensuring that they match your landscape design style.
Pruning vs Trimming Shrubs: What’s the Difference?
Pruning vs trimming shrubs involves different techniques and is done for different reasons. Knowing the key distinctions between the two can help you maintain healthy shrubs while achieving the desired look for your landscape - here’s what you need to know.
Goals and Outcomes
The main goal of pruning is to improve the overall health and structure of the plant. By removing dead, damaged, or diseased branches, pruning encourages healthy growth and prevents potential hazards. It can also be used to control the size of the shrub and promote flowering.
Trimming, on the other hand, focuses on maintaining a neat and well-groomed appearance. The outcome of trimming is a tidy, aesthetically pleasing shrub that aligns with your landscape design. It’s more about shaping and refining the plant rather than improving its health.
Tools and Techniques
Pruning typically requires tools like hand pruners, loppers, or pruning saws, depending on the thickness of the branches. The cuts made during pruning are more strategic, focusing on removing specific branches at their source or where they meet a main stem.
Trimming is usually done with hedge shears, either manual or electric, and involves cutting back overgrown areas along the outer edges of the shrub. The technique is less precise, as it focuses on evenly trimming the shrub for a uniform shape.
Effect on Plant Growth
Pruning can have a significant impact on how a shrub grows. By removing select branches, you encourage new growth in targeted areas, promote stronger root systems, and improve air circulation. Pruning can also stimulate more abundant blooms if done correctly.
Trimming has less influence on plant growth and is more about maintaining the plant’s appearance. While it does remove some growth, trimming mainly keeps the shrub within its desired shape and size without encouraging new growth as significantly as pruning.
When to Prune
Pruning is typically done during the plant’s dormant season, which is usually in late winter or early spring, before new growth begins. For flowering shrubs, pruning is best done after blooming for plants that flower in the spring, or during the dormant season for those that bloom in summer or fall.
When to Trim
Trimming can be done more frequently throughout the growing season, usually in spring and summer. Depending on how fast your shrubs grow, you may trim them several times a year to keep their shape in check. Avoid trimming during the hottest part of the day, as this can stress the plant.
Should You Do Both?
In most cases, yes! Pruning and trimming work hand in hand to keep your shrubs healthy and looking their best. Pruning is essential for plant health and long-term growth, while trimming is necessary to maintain the plant’s appearance.
Rather than choosing between pruning vs trimming shrubs, do both. This gives you a balanced approach to landscaping that supports both the health and aesthetics of your shrubs.
Tips on Pruning and Trimming Shrubs
So, now you know the difference between pruning and trimming, but how do you actually do it? Here are some landscape maintenance tips to help you start caring for your plants, whether you’re pruning vs trimming shrubs, or both.
Wearing Protective Gear
Safety should always come first when working with sharp tools and plant debris. Wearing protective gloves, safety goggles, and long sleeves can shield you from thorns, sharp branches, and debris. This protective gear also helps prevent skin irritations from plants or accidental cuts from your tools.
Choosing the Right Tools (and Keeping Them Maintained!)
Selecting the right tools for pruning and trimming is crucial for achieving clean, healthy cuts. Use sharp hand pruners or loppers for thicker branches and hedge shears for trimming. Dull tools can tear branches, causing damage and inviting disease.
Regularly clean and sharpen your tools to maintain their effectiveness. Also, one of the most common landscaping mistakes people make is not disinfecting their tools between each plant. If you don’t disinfect, you can easily spread diseases from plant to plant, infecting your whole garden.
Correct Cutting Angles
When pruning, aim to make cuts at a 45-degree angle, slightly above a bud or branch node. This angle promotes quick healing and directs water away from the cut, reducing the risk of rot.
For trimming, focus on even, horizontal cuts when shaping the shrub to maintain a balanced and uniform appearance. Always avoid flat-topping your shrubs unless you want a boxy look.
Avoiding Over-Trimming
It’s easy to get carried away when trimming shrubs, but over-trimming can stress the plant and hinder its growth. A good rule of thumb is to avoid cutting back more than one-third of the plant at any time.
Over-trimming can lead to weak growth and reduce the shrub’s ability to produce flowers. Be mindful of the plant’s natural shape and growth pattern to keep it looking full and healthy.
Post-Care After Pruning or Trimming
After pruning or trimming, your shrubs may need some extra care. Make sure that the plant is well-watered, especially during dry periods, as it will need more moisture to support its new growth.
Applying a layer of mulch can help retain moisture and regulate soil temperature. Monitor the plant for signs of stress or disease after pruning, and make adjustments to your care routine as needed to keep it thriving.
Don’t Stress About Pruning or Trimming Shrubs, Leave it to the Experts at Michaelangelos!
Pruning or trimming your shrubs may seem like a simple task at first, but there’s a lot that can go wrong. You may end up with some ugly landscaping, especially if you over-prune your shrubs. It can take months or even years for them to grow back!
Or, even worse, you may inadvertently kill some of your shrubs by pruning too harshly or trimming at the wrong time of year. Certain shrubs are especially delicate, and need special care to survive a harsh pruning - it’s why you should outsource landscape maintenance.
If you don’t want to take the risk - we don’t blame you! We’ve seen what can go wrong when people dive into pruning without fully understanding what they’re getting into. Instead, save yourself the hassle and call our team at Michaelangelo’s.
We are both a commercial landscape maintenance company and residential landscape maintenance company, offering full service landscaping. Whether you have some shrubs that need maintenance or you want to talk about a pool building timeline, we’re your guys!
From coming up with landscaping ideas around tree roots to low maintenance landscape design, our team has seen and done it all. Our decades of experience and attention to detail ensure we’ll leave you with the best yard on the block, always. Call us for:
Need some help with how to design a backyard? Want to talk about the cost of landscaping design? Not sure how to take care of lawn in spring? We can help! Our service area includes:
Final Thoughts on the Difference Between Pruning and Trimming
So, that wraps up our guide on pruning vs trimming shrubs. As you can see, these are two distinct techniques. It’s important to understand the differences, and what’s right for your shrubs, but there’s also a lot that can go wrong when you dive into pruning or trimming.
Rather than spread diseases throughout your shrubs, or potentially kill shrubs from over-pruning or trimming at the wrong time of year, trust the experts at Michaelangelo’s! We’ll keep your shrubs healthy and your outdoor areas looking tidy and maintained.
Avoid the hassle and keep your yard pristine - call Michaelangelo’s and trust your landscaping to our pros!