I’ll admit-one of the most daunting and exhausting parts of gardening is pruning. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned gardener it can feel like a big task. But pruning your garden is essential.
What Is Pruning Anyway?
Pruning is when you take a pair of garden shears—or a tough pair of scissors- and cut back dead growth or overgrowth on a plant.
It takes a bit of time and effort, sure—but the results are well worth it. Why? Because you end up with beautiful, healthy and thriving plants.
5 Reasons You Need to Be Pruning Your Garden
–Aesthetics: Let’s face it. No one likes to look at an overgrown, chaotic garden. No one wants to look at a bunch of dead branches and leaves all intertwined together like a jungle caught in a whirlwind, every leaf and branch fighting to survive. When you prune back the dead leaves and trim the overgrowth. It makes your garden look beautiful, clean, and full of life again.
–Growth: Did you know that leaving the dead parts of a plant in place can actually hinder your plant’s growth? Instead of focusing energy into the parts of the plant are healthy and thriving, it wastes valuable resources trying to repair the parts that are already dead or dying. When you start to see parts of the plant withering away, it’s time to trim the dead weight. And when you do, you’ll notice your plants will start to flourish.
–Disease: “A healthy plant is a happy plant.” Ever heard that saying before? It’s not just a cute phrase-it’s actually a fact. When a plant isn’t healthy it becomes much more vulnerable to disease. Leaving the dead parts on a plant wastes valuable energy and nutrients trying to repair parts that can’t be saved. This makes the plants more likely to become plagued with disease and fungus which can take over quickly. And if the plant is already struggling, it won’t have the strength to fight off both the infection and the dying parts. That can spell disaster for your poor plant. So, make sure you prune it back so it can be happy and healthy.
–Pests: Gross! I know. But unfortunately, they do happen. One of the most common pests is the leaf miner. Those little guys burrow into plant leaves and lay their eggs leaving behind unsightly little trails and damage. The best way to deal with them? You guessed it- prune the affected leaves.
This approach works for most pests. While you can (and should) use pest control methods like Neem oil or other organic sprays, one of the most effective first steps is simply removing the damaged leaves. I always cut the leaves that show signs of eggs or holes from chewing damage. Then I give the healthy parts a good spray of Neem Oil to help ward off future invaders.
-Fruit Production: Not only does pruning help your plants to grow stronger-it also encourages them to produce more fruit! Who doesn’t want that? The plant will put more effort and energy into growing flowers and fruit when you trim off the parts that are no longer thriving. The result is a healthier and more abundant harvest.
What Do You Think?
So—do you think pruning is an important part of gardening? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your experiences in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy pruning!