Easy! Easy!
Every day we follow a work plan in the landscape and one day last week this was also the case. I had to prune hollies and laurels next to a kids’ playground. That was my target and I got it done without injuring any kids. The professional that I am, I even overcame the distraction of two beautiful Russian-speaking mommies nearby.
Now, just because you have a solid plan, doesn’t mean you can’t take care of small blemishes on the go. I’m talking about weeds as you rake up your clippings and very low rhododendron branches.
Sad-looking Aucuba
Then I noticed a sad-looking Aucuba japonica shrub nearby. There was some green growth on it but what you really noticed were dead stems towering over the greenery.
Now, my foreman mentioned that he had a shovel and would take the shrub out to put it out of its misery. Dude, not so fast; we need plants! Plants make the landscape pop and they compete with weeds. Removing the shrub would just open up more dead space for weeds to colonize. There is a better way. What would you do?
Pruning
Pruning out the dead stems is one obvious action we can take. Carefully prune out the dead stems and let the shrub recover. It knows what to do so let it grow. But it should be done carefully. We lost some greenery during pruning because some of the live tissue was pushing from the bottom of the dead stems.
Don’t rush your pruning cuts. It’s easy to slip with your hand saw and take out live tissues. Unfortunately, I forgot to take an after picture but trust me, it looked fine. Now the shrub has a chance to thrive and that’s how I like it. If the whole thing die this winter, then we’ll dig it up. Until then, we’re good.
Remember to give your shrubs a chance to shine with proper pruning. Don’t reach for your shovel right away like a savage.
