Good for you if you are fortunate enough to be able to afford to live in a pleasant suburban neighborhood, or own a house in an open environment that comes with its yard with trees, shrubs, and other plants. But at some point, you’re going to have to open the shed or garage and bring out the tools.
Before you do that, there are some things that you should keep in mind, such as the difference between sheering and pruning. As similar as they sound, they are different and stand as the difference between a seemingly dull yard and a beautifully maintained one. Either way, the aesthetics change according to the style of cutting opted.
The reason it is essential to know the difference between these two is that the kinds of plant life in your yard requires different forms of maintenance and usually one of these two:
- Shearing
This refers to the category of cuts made on plants that have to deal with just the surface. This means removing a lot of the leaves and the twigs of the plant and as much as possible in one or more moves. The cuts are usually not more than one inch to two inches in depth where the interior parts of the plant are left untouched.
Tools: It involves the use of gardening tools like garden shears or an extended hand blade. Shearing for longer durations and in more capable hands can mean electric shears to make your plants the most aesthetic shapes.
Merits: This kind of cutting is mostly used for shaping the outside of the plant to make specific shapes or curves. It is used on shrubs and topiary-type plants that look best as decorative outdoor additions. This sort of cutting is recommended for leaf growth, making the plant gradually bushier and fuller.
Demerits: The act of cutting the leaves and twigs make them sprout even more from the cuts, making it very likely for the plant to grow in an unruly look. Also, the leaves and branches deeper inside the plant get blocked out from the outside foliage and start to die if the plant is not maintained well.
- Pruning
Pruning is the cutting that looks more towards the health of the plant than its ability to attract. It is not a cutting style for shaping but more of removing dead or excess foliage that leaves the plant in a more natural looking form. It is usually done in two ways: One is where the parts of the plant sticking out oddly or the removing of dead branches. The second is where cuts are made very close to the center of the plant, such as cutting off secondary branches and leaving the trunk bare.
Tools: Pruning can be done by hand when it is done for the health of small plants such as shrubs, bushes, or flowering plants. While pruning trees have to be done with the use of tools that can go from easy short edged single handheld scissors to more massive machines such as mulching wood chippers, stump grinders, and boom lifts. Sydney residences can look up the Sydney Tree Company for tree maintenance related information.
Merits: This cutting style gives a chance to the more central parts of the plant to concentrate its nutrients to the primary components to make a positive impact on the longevity and vitality of the pruned plant.
Demerits: This is a process that will take the plant a longer duration of time to return to a full leaf-filled state. Any accidental or inaccurate cuts while pruning so close to the center of the plant can lead to significant injuries to the plant that may lead to infections and possibly death.
Both styles of cutting do not have anything to do with eradicating the plant, nor with cutting off the plant. On the contrary, the plant is given a chance to a fuller life.
