What Shearing Does When we cut a woody plant like a.

Jun 08, Selective pruning is the best way to prune a large-leaf shrub like sweet viburnum. This is the first in a 3-part Learn about"selective pruning" with Brian! Feb 22, How to prune evergreen shrubs selectively with pruning shears. A clear tutorial on how to prune boxwood, holly, Andromeda using selective pruning methods.

For most shrubs- those that don’t have evergreen needles- the best approach to pruning is branch by branch, using a sharp pair of pruners. This technique is called selective pruning.

It’s different from shearing- shaving off the outer few inches of a bush with a power hedge trimmer or shears to create a smooth, geometric shape. Heading (Figure 8) is the selective cutting of terminal ends of twigs or young branches back to an axillary bud or node.

This technique produces a shorter shrub. However, new growth is typically vigorous and upright, developing from two to several buds just behind the pruning cut. The new foliage may be so thick that it shades the lower growth forming a top-heavy plant. This can be avoided in shrubs by. Selective pruning is the preferred method for controlling old growth and encouraging new growth both inside and outside of the plant.

Selectively pruned shrubs may look less formal than sheared shrubs, but what they lack in uniformity they make up for in health and longevity. Selective pruning Estimated Reading Time: 3 mins.