804.517.2199
Serving Lake Anna & Northern Neck
Specialty Pruning:
So what is Specialty Pruning?
At Waters Edge, we focus our pruning on the Ornamental Trees and Shrubs in your landscape. Most, if not all, of our pruning, is accomplished from the ground level and occasionally from smaller ladders. This allows us to properly prune your trees up to the size of an average Crape Myrtle or large Dogwood just to provide perspective. We also address all types and forms of woody shrubs as well.
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It is important to understand that not all trees and shrubs should be pruned in the same manner or even at the same time. We focus on the species, growth and flowering habits, and the location of the plant material in your landscape. Understanding these factors as well as the biology of the plants allows us to implement a ‘Specialty Pruning’ approach and prune according to the individual needs of each tree or shrub.
Why do we Prune?
Having a beginning and end goal in mind when pruning is a critical facet to the overall success of the future of your plants. As mentioned above, most landscapes have a variety of tree and shrub species which leads to many different individual goals when pruning.
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With younger trees that will eventually become large, our goals are focused on formative pruning to enhance the future structure of the tree. With more ornamental trees that will stay relatively small, our goals may be focused more on selective thinning to allow more air and light penetration through the canopy. When pruning woody shrubs, we prune to enhance their natural shape or thin to reduce competition and promote healthier growth. With all pruning methods, we often address any dead, dying, or simply undesirable branches or stems.
How do we Prune?
By far, the majority of our pruning is accomplished utilizing hand pruning tools. This allows us to make proper pruning cuts, be more accurate and selective and helps us adhere to the plant’s natural growth habit.
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Although some plants do tolerate ‘Shearing’ such as conical types of Hollies and possibly hedge plantings, we prefer the use of hand tools on most plants we address.