Although over pruned trees and shrubs don't usually die if some part of the canopy remains, the damage from over pruning can be extensive. Over pruning reduces the foliage that's available for making food for the rest of the plant and can allow pests and diseases access to the tree if cuts are made incorrectly.
Over pruning reduces the foliage needed to make food for the tree, so in effect, it starves it. When a tree has been over pruned, you may not see much new growth during the spring. In the winter, more branches than usual will break as a result of heavy loads.
Over-pruning
Any cuts you make to a plant, old or new, are left as open wounds. While plants are able to heal these wounds and come back stronger, they are still wounds that leave the plant vulnerable. Rather than training the plant correctly and aiding growth, over-pruning will only cause further stress.
How to Fix an Over-Pruned Tree or Shrub. While some plants need a heftier prune than others, in general, the golden rule is to trim no more than 15 to 20 percent of a tree's canopy at one time. Keep that in mind for next time.
Pruning at the wrong time can send a plant into shock, stunt its growth, or cause it not to bloom that season. It can take years for a plant to recover, if it can. Heavy pruning is best done when a plant is dormant.
An improper cut like a flush cut (cutting too close to the trunk) or a stub cut (cutting too far from the trunk) can cause irreversible damage to a tree. A flush cut removes the branch collar and leaves a large wound in the side of the tree that won't heal properly.
Although over pruned trees and shrubs don't usually die if some part of the canopy remains, the damage from over pruning can be extensive. Over pruning reduces the foliage that's available for making food for the rest of the plant and can allow pests and diseases access to the tree if cuts are made incorrectly.
The 1/3 rule involves cutting about 1/3 of wood during any pruning activity. This moderate pruning practice is a balanced approach to thinning out shrubs to stimulate new growth. The plant loses a good amount of stems, usually on the top section, allowing more light and air to enter the inside of the plant.
The basics of hard pruning
The hard pruning approach involves cutting the entire plant down to around 3 to 6 inches from the ground in very early spring before any foliage is emerging. This timing will minimize stress on the plant and direct energy into the growth of new stems.
Watering is very important during the couple of weeks or more that a plant is recovering from root pruning. Right after pruning, I give the whole pot a thorough soaking. As new growth begins, I make sure to thoroughly wet all the soil at each watering.
After Pruning Your Houseplants
If your plant is nice and healthy, it should recover from pruning and begin growing again within a few weeks. If your plant gets a little droopy for a few days, don't worry. It might be experiencing shock, but it will bounce back.
Make judicious cuts to encourage new growth. Cut just before a leaf node. Or when cutting back larger stems, cut as close to the main stem as possible. However, do not remove more than 25 percent of the plant.
Plants are more brittle in cold temperatures. Messing around with them may cause branches to snap and split unintentionally. It's minor, but it could impact the look of a plant or create a haven for insects and diseases later. Don't prune when the temperature falls below 25°F.
The solution is to wait until winter and prune again using thinning cuts or reduction cuts. The former takes out an entire branch at its point of origin on the trunk, while the latter cuts a branch back to a lateral branch. Making the wrong cuts – The ultimate in bad pruning moves is to top a tree.
If you need to drastically reduce the size of a shrub or tree, it's often best to look at it as a long-term project, cutting off no more than a third at one time and giving it plenty of time to recover between pruning sessions.
Webb said pruning typically involves removing dead or diseased wood and thinning out stems and branches to improve the overall health and appearance of a plant. On the other hand, trimming typically involves cutting back plant material for reasons other than health concerns.
Periodically, large, deciduous shrubs need more extensive pruning than they usually receive. This is called rejuvenation pruning, and it involves removing branches all the way down to their base.
In general, you don't want to remove any more than 1/4 of the overall foliage of the plant. Hold back on any major pruning during the fall and winter — your plants won't be growing as quickly, and it could take a longer time for them to put out new growth or recover from being trimmed too much.
Pruning less of the plant but more frequently is by far the best for the overall health of it. We recommend every other month, which comes out to be five times per year. This is the sweet spot for pruning and will help keep everything looking and performing its best.
The node is where leaves, buds and shoots emerge from the stem. You should always cut just above a node, as this prevents 'die back' and therefore disease. Also, by cutting above a node you can manipulate new stems, leaves or flowers to form in a desired direction, as nodes form on different sides of a stem.
Some have learned that pruning wounds should be sealed with a pruning compound to “protect” the plant from insects and pathogens. However, scien- tific research tells us that pruning compounds and sealants actually do more harm than good when applied to plants (with one exception which I will mention later).
When you cut away a stem, your plant still has the same nutrients but needs to feed a smaller plant than before. When a plant has too many nutrients, it can focus on growing instead of just surviving.
Severe pruning means the cutting of branches and/or trunk of a Tree in a manner which substantially reduces the overall size of the Tree or destroys the existing symmetrical appearance, natural shape or health of the Tree and which results in the removal of main lateral branches leaving the trunk and branches of the ...
When pruned properly, removed tree branches will not grow back. Instead, the tree will grow what looks like a callous over the pruning cut, which helps protect the tree from decay and infection.