What is Pruning?
Pruning is the art of carefully removing parts of plants, such as branches and leaves, to help control their shape and size. It can also be used to promote new growth or encourage more flowers or fruit. Pruning mugo pines (Pinus mugo) can help keep them healthy and looking their best year-round.
When to Prune Mugo Pines
The best time for pruning mugo pines is in late winter or early spring when the plant is still dormant but just beginning to wake up from its winter slumber. This will give you plenty of time for the pruned areas to heal before any new growth begins in summertime.
How To Prune a Mugo Pine
1. Start by identifying dead, diseased, damaged, weakly attached, crossing or crowded branches that need removal with hand pruners first. Cut these away very close to where they join another branch or at ground level if necessary.
2. Look for any suckers arising from below ground that do not have foliage on them – these should be removed too so that all energy goes into developing strong main branches rather than wasted on unwanted side shoots
3. For larger overgrown trees consider using a pole saw which has an extendable handle allowing you access higher up on mature specimens
4 . Use thinning cuts sparingly – this type of cut removes entire stems back to a point where two other stems are left intact (rather like cutting one stem out between two others). This encourages good air circulation throughout the tree’s canopy by reducing overcrowding and allows light penetration too helping reduce pest infestations
5 . Take your time as it’s better not rush things – try standing back regularly while you work around each individual branch in order get an overall pleasing balanced look once finished
6 . Finally finish off with some tidy shaping again using hand shears if needed – this usually means removing small twiggy growth around edges & lower down near trunk area giving it clean appearance
7 . If possible paint over large wounds left behind using tree wound sealant although there isn’t much evidence suggesting this helps speed healing process it does provide protection against pests & diseases entering open cuts made during process
