Professional Landscape Maintenance in Dutchess County, NY Keeps Gardens Blooming
Beautiful grounds and gardens don’t just grow by themselves. It takes a skilled hand, careful pruning, and knowledge to keep flowers blooming and landscapes healthy. Prune the wrong plant in the wrong place or at the wrong time and your blooms are lost for the remainder of the season. Luckily, the team at Landwork Contractors have years of experience caring for landscapes all over the Hudson River Valley area. Here are our top five tips to help you keep your bushes blooming and your trees looking healthy
- Prune with a Purpose in Mind- While pruning is a vital part of healthy landscape maintenance, you have to have a plan in mind before you make a single cut. You could end up killing a beautiful, thriving plant if you cut the wrong branch or cut too much back. Look at your plants. Determine if you are wanting to shape them, resize them, or simply remove some dead growth. Once you have a plan in mind, you can start to prune with confidence.
- Remember the Three D’s- When pruning in June, make sure you remember to look for the three D’s: Decay, Dying, and Dead. If you look at the branches of your shrub, bush, or flowering tree try to look for areas that are decayed/diseased, dying, or dead. Cut back those areas first before they can affect the rest of the plant.
- Know Which Plants Need Pruning- Every plant has different needs. Some plants should be regularly trimmed to keep them in shape or to fight off excessive growth. Other plants will wilt if you prune in June. A skilled landscape maintenance team can help. Understanding the difference can help keep your garden growing strong. A few plants that should be carefully pruned in June are :
- Cherry Trees
- Apricot Trees
- Roses
- Azaleas
- Viburnums
- Yellow and Red Twig Dogwoods
- Phlox
- Tall Perennials
- Rhododendrons
- Cut for Health and Growth- The real purpose of pruning is to help focus the energy of the plant into healthy growth. Trees and shrubs that are left to grow wild can dry out or die out from overgrowth. When you are cutting your plants try to cut in a way that encourages growth. Trim back areas where branches rub against each other. Cut back water sprouts and limbs that block out the sun.
- Use the Quarter Rule- As a rule of thumb, you should never cut back more than 25% of your shrub, bush, or tree. An expert could possibly cut more than that, but usually, you want to stick to cutting back a smaller amount.
Pruning is vital to keeping landscapes healthy but it also takes a lot of skill. If you aren’t sure how to prune or what to prune or when don’t worry. Give Landwork Contractors a call, we’re pruning experts. You can reach us at 914-479-2537 or make an appointment online, we’ll take care of all of your landscape maintenance needs.