Broken Limbs & Pruning Hints
A split low down on a large camellia. Branches that leave the trunk at a sharp angle like this are prone to split.
When you walk through your yard or garden after the snow melts, you are likely to see damage to your shrubs from the snow load, especially on evergreen plants which hold more of the snow.
Branches may have torn completely off of the plant, or may be broken but still attached. Any obviously broken branches that are still attached should be removed from the plant. They should be cut back to undamaged wood on the larger branch to which they are attached, or back to the trunk. If the branch has fallen away completely leaving a stub, then the stub should be removed. Pruning of small branches is not difficult, but there is a “right way” to do it so that the wound heals more rapidly.
There are plenty of easily accessible brochures on the web about pruning, and the Maryland Extension Home and Garden Information Center has some videos. Here are some places to start: (from the University of Maryland; Purdue University and the University of Minnesota).
(Pay attention to the pruning technique near the end of the “large trees” video, especially shot of the branch collar. People tend to want to prune back flush to the trunk of the tree or shrub, but that is incorrect. The video shows the correct way.)
February is one of the best times to take care of your foundation and landscape plantings.
