New to shrub trimming, or unsatisfied with the results? Well, like a lot of things, it is all in the details, and there’s a lot to learn. In this article, we’ve gathered some key information, such as the difference between trimming and pruning, the right tools and how to use them, safety tips, and more. Read on to get a comprehensive breakdown of essential landscaping knowledge.
Trimming vs Pruning
Shrub and tree trimming are mainly focused on the aesthetic appeal of plants, creating a neat appearance. While trimming can also contribute to plant health, its main purpose is to maintain a desired look and keep walkways clear. Pruning is focused on removing dead, diseased, and overgrown branches to improve air circulation and sunlight penetration, promoting healthier growth.
Tools and Equipment for Shrub Trimming
When choosing the right tool for certain types of tree and shrub trimming or pruning, it’s important to know each tool’s purpose.
- Hand pruners: for tight detailed work
- Loppers: for thicker branches
- Hedge trimmers: to shape the foliage of shrubs and bushes
- Pole hedge trimmers: for those hard to reach topiaries and tall hedges
- Pruning saws: to remove hard to reach dead limbs
- Pole saws: to cut thicker branches for the purpose of letting more light into the bedding areas
- Hoes: to quickly loosen soil and remove weeds
- Blowers: to quickly remove leaves and other debris in flower beds or clean off paved areas
- Rakes: good for removing old pine needles, leaves, and accumulating acorns
Tips to Maintain and Sharpen Your Tools
- Blow out air filters
- Grease the shaft of your pole saw or string trimmer
- Remove rust with coarse-grade steel wool or lump pumice
- Wear gloves and eye protection while sharpening, and ideally use a vice to keep the tool from slipping
- If you make your blade too sharp, you actually risk faster wear
- Bonus points if you sanitize your blades with isopropyl alcohol to kill bacteria, but at least rinse between uses whenever possible
- Oil your blades to form a barrier against rust, especially after sanitizing
Safety Tips for Trimming Shrubs
- Wear protective gear: (Gloves, safety glasses, and sturdy footwear, long sleeve shirts to protect against the sun and scratches, allergies or debris).
- Working with ladders safely: Have a spotter, and use a ladder designed for the right job.
- Working near power lines/internet cables/hidden sprinklers: Always be aware of items hidden just behind or beneath what you are about to work on. For example, you might be hedge trimming your bushes and cut off your sprinkler risers in the flower beds. They are about 3ft tall and designed to water your shrubs. For another example, you might be digging to add a new tree to your lawn and accidentally cut into a buried internet cable.
- Have a couple cans of wasp spray handy: You may find yourself face to face with an angry nest in your bushes. Highland Village, TX wasps are especially nasty, and will be your number one enemy while landscaping.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
When shrub trimming, it’s easy to settle into a rhythm and accidentally damage your plants or property. Here’s a few pitfalls to avoid to safely maintain your landscape:
- Over-trimming: When cutting a shrub back hard, avoid doing that in a slow growing part of the season. It needs to repair quickly to survive being cut back that much. It’s better to cut back a little at a time 5 or 6 times a year.
- Leaving stubs or hand holds on trees: you should cut closer to the main branch or trunk without leaving the 2-5 inch stubs.
- "Topping" trees: Topping trees can harm their health (source: Evansville.org).
- Gas spillage: Never fill gasoline while standing over your grass or plants that could die from spillage.
Hiring a Professional vs. DIY Shrub Trimming
To many, performing shrub trimming and other landscape maintenance themselves is more appealing than hiring someone else. Whether the main concern is cost, quality, or convenience, many choose to do it themselves. If you’re deliberating between the two options, there’s a few things you should keep in mind. You’ll save more money in the long run by choosing DIY, but this comes at the significant upfront cost of investing in all the necessary tools, and takes personal dedication and skill. On the other hand, hiring a professional costs a smaller but recurring price, while freeing up time and avoiding the headache of picking up a new skill.
If you choose to hire a professional, it’s important to know your landscape is in good hands. You’ll want to be sure you’re hiring skilled, dedicated, trustworthy workers, and sure the company uses insurance to be prepared for the unexpected. Here at Main Street Mowing, you can be sure our guys will have your bushes safely trimmed in no time – so kick back and relax. We’ve got this.
Seasonal Maintenance Schedule for Highland Village, Texas
- Generally speaking, following the above schedule, you should be able to keep your landscape in order with regular maintenance just 5 times a year.
- Advice for preparing plants for winter or encouraging growth in the spring – bury hydrangeas, and geraniums with piles of mulch, etc.
- Climate/regional differences may affect trimming/pruning schedules. In North Texas, banana trees typically need to be cut back to about 3 inches in late fall, and ornamental grasses cut back in feb. Crape Myrtles in late feb, scalp and bag grass in feb if it is Bermuda or Zoysia. Don't scalp and bag Saint Augustine because you will destroy the horizontal growth of the stolon (an aboveground stem network in some types of grass, commonly called “runners”).
Frequently Asked Shrub Trimming Questions (FAQ)
- What should I do if I accidentally cut too much? Water and use organic fertilizer. Not too much or you’ll risk fungal growth. Research what nitrogen level of fertilizer is best for your specific grass, and what schedule/portions to apply fertilizer.
- How do I know if a branch is dead or just dormant? scratch the branch with your finger. If the subsurface is green, it is alive. If it is dry and brown it is dead. When in doubt wait it out. Give it a couple months to see if it is going to come out of the coma.
- What is the purpose of putting a layer of mulch in my landscape beds? Mulch will help your landscape to combat the harsh climate in Highland Village, TX. Mulch will help to choke out weeds, retain moisture, and it looks amazing.
- When do I plant Annual Flowers in the Highland Village, TX area? A great schedule is March 15th for Spring Petunias, June 15th for heat-loving Pentas and Sweet Alyssum, and October 15th for cold-hardy Pansies.