Garden Restoration - Trees & Shrubs

When trying to rejuvenate fruit trees, first look for signs of disease, rot and insect infestation and assess whether the trees are healthy enough to be saved. You will need to identify what type of fruit tree you have since different trees have different requirements. If you are not sure what you have, bring a twig to your nearest university horticulture program for help with identification.

The best way to rejuvenate a tree is through pruning. With any major pruning project its best to wait until late winter. This way, with no leaves on the trees, you’ll have clear picture of what needs to be done. Some trees, such as apple and pear should be pruned over the course of a few years. Reduce the height of the tree during the first year by pruning the main limbs back to a strong side shoot. Look for and remove dead, criss-crossing and broken branches or those which grow towards the tree’s trunk. This will allow more sunlight and air to enter the center of the tree. During the following summer remove most large vigorous new shoots that have grown from the top of the tree. New shoots growing lower down the trunk or scaffolds should be left intact.

The following winter prune the tree to its final height. Avoid shortening the tree too much more but continue thinning out shoots in the upper half of the tree. Prune so limbs are evenly spaced around the tree and train new shoots off the trunk to grow horizontally.

Repeat this process over the course of the third season and continue to shape your tree by shortening the outer branches. Spread the new fruiting wood evenly over the entire tree from the lowest limbs to the upper scaffolds. Be sure that plenty of air and light can reach all limbs.

Many overgrown deciduous shrubs can tolerate a drastic pruning. A privet or forsythia hedge, for example, can be cut down to about 1 foot and begin putting out new growth. If the plant does not respond to this after a full season, it's time to remove it. If an old hedge doesn’t require a hard prune be sure that the base or the hedge is wider than the top. This will allow the bottom leaves to receive as much sunlight as those on the top.

With shrubs, like with trees, look for deadwood, broken branches and remove these first. Once that’s done move on to branches which grow inward toward the trunk of the shrub and branches which criss-cross. Removing these will allow light penetrate and air to flow though the center of the shrub. Also prune branches which obstruct pathways and sitting areas. Finally, prune the shrub to its natural shape, be it columnar, round or spreading.

Lastly, shrub beds should be weeded thoroughly and mulched.

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