Restorative and renewal pruning.Are you the lucky owner of an old and overgrown shrub? My last column just barely scraped the surface of pruning. The most important distinction to make when pruning is knowing the difference between shearing your shrubs, or making renewal and restorative cuts.
We inherited a large and unruly laurel hedge when we first moved into our house 12 years ago and I admit to doing all the wrong things in an effort to control it. As the laurel got taller and wider, we would spend more time sheering it back ( both top and sides )and essentially created even more of a make work project.
By sheering the hedge back we made tough thick areas that did not allow the light, air and water to penetrate. We were creating a monster. Tall leggy branches would shoot out and our tight sheering was an open invitation for pests and disease to inhabit the shrub.
We had also destroyed the natural fullness and beauty of the shrub. Laurels are meant to grow tall and instead of working against the natural form of the plant, it was time to learn how to work with it by using restorative and renewal pruning.
This technique can be used on many old and overgrown shrubs. A word of warning though, it is not a speedy process. Gardening can be the ultimate in practicing patience and this type of pruning is no exception.
So here is what you do. Remove one third of the old stems down to their base or as close to the ground as you can get for three years. You will begin to see a reduction of crowding and the healthy new shoots will begin to sprout up and cover the areas you have cut down.
This same technique works really well with azeleas and rhododendrons which are often overgrown, leggy and trying to reach for the sun in too dense of an understory. Use the restorative pruning method on these evergreen shrubs after they have finished flowering and you will see a big difference in its flower production and health in the years to come.
It is easy to keep your shrubs pruned for health and beauty. Remember the three Ds:Removing all dead, dying and diseased branches and stems back to where they start. Never cut just randomly and leave a stump; cut half an inch above a branch.
Remove at least one of the oldest stems back to the ground or as close as you can get. It is usually the tallest stem and it will be thick, sometimes showing its age by its colouring. Be patient. It took a long time for your plant to get in this state and it will take some time to bring it back to its original glory.
