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There are almost as many schools of thought about pruning trees as there are people who prune! And I’m not talking about dried plums, either. To try and shed some light of this confusion, I’m offering my own recommendations and interpretations.

Trim back any over exuberant branches that are out of line with the rest of your tree or shrub, remove any dead, broken, or dying branches, and cut out any crossed branches that might rub together. Don’t forget to cut back those weak and spindly shoots (suckers) that come up around the trunk.Before you start to prune anything, take a good look at it and make sure it really needs to be pruned! As you stand there and stare at your potential victim, notice its general shape, and its size in relationship to its location and other trees and shrubs nearby. If the overall impression is favorable, then all you really need to do is a little “clean up” pruning.

Young trees need to be pruned so that they develop into strong, healthy, and attractive adults. In general, choose one strong central branch to be the leader, and prune out all other competing secondary leaders. A tree with 2 rival leaders, just like a country, can split down the middle since the crotch of that tree is very weak.

Avoid cutting above a bud or branchlet that is pointing back in towards the central trunk, as this will result in an untidy mess of crossing branches in the interior of your tree. When pruning, consider which way you are going to want the new growth to go, and make your cut close to a bud or branchlet which is already headed in that direction.Always make your cuts at or just above a bud, a branch, or night at the trunk of the tree itself, so you don’t leave a little stub sticking out. That bud or branchlet is going to become the dominant one on that branch.

So what should you do if you are in the unfortunate position of having a tree that is too big for the spot it’s in? It’s sort of like having a Saint Bernard that thinks it is a lap dog. I don’t know what you would do about the dog but the best thing you can do with the tree is to have it removed, and to plant a more appropriate choice in its place.

To shape young pines, pinch back the growing tip by about half in the spring. Don’t head them back, since on most evergreens, once a branch is cut, no new growth will form.As your tree grows, you can determine the form it will take. If you want your tree to develop into an open, airy tree, thin out branchlets that develop along the sides of the main branches. If you want a tight, compact tree, leave these branchlets alone, and head back the very tips of the main lateral branches.

Garden Trees have always been extremely popular for use in gardens of a large size where they can be allowed grow to their full potential and appear in their full brilliance. When we take a look at our own gardens they are usually pretty small and, therefore, our choice of Garden Trees is rather limited.

Deciding which are the most suitable trees and shrubs to grow in such small spaces requires a small amount of study and learning. You should take a some amount of care and attention when deciding upon which kinds of plants to use in your garden but when it comes to planting trees and shrubs you may be surprised to learn that even more care is needed.

Generally it is best to pick garden trees that are not likely to grow beyond a height of around 20ft (6m) in height. If your are planning to place a tree or shrub near to your home then you should really pick even shorter problems with your house’s foundations. Furthermore the branches and twigs can grow to block windows or doorways. An even more horrible scenario would be if the Garden Trees were to grow such long branches that they could push against walls or overhanging roofs to such an amount that it caused structural damage.

When deciding where, in your small garden, you will be growing your Garden Trees you will have to take special notice of the immediate area taking special note of any overhanging wires or anything else that encroaches upon the space in which your plant will eventually grow, recalling that you should allow for around 6m (20ft) in height.

Another point to keep in mind is your neighbor. If you will be planting Landscaping Trees along a boundary fence you will need to consider the fact that it is more than likely that the branches will encroach into his/her space. Not only should you consider the branches you should also consider the roots of the plant which will, most probably grow much further and could possibly create damage.

Trees and Shrubs grown in Small Spaces can often become a nuisance for a neighbor when the Trees and Shrubs grow too big and block out the sun from his or her garden or window. This type of problem often leads to legal action between neighbors and many places have bye-laws which disallow the growing of certain types of tree. It is well worth checking first before you plant any Trees and Shrubs.

Once you have picked which Trees and Shrubs you are going to plant in your garden you will need learn a little about Caring For Trees and especially for the species of tree or shrub you are growing. It is crucially important that, in the case of grafted Trees and Shrubs you watch closely for shoots which may spring from under the grafting point as these will be of a different type of tree or shrub (the same species as the rootstock) and, in the case of dwarf trees and shrubs, these can sometimes be much larger and longer than the main plant.

When pruning your garden trees you should ensure that it is done very carefully. You should never, unless you fully understand pruning, cut off the top of a tree just to keep them short. Chopping off the tops of any garden tree can cause it to suffer deadly damage. Always follow the correct directions and if pruning small trees take extra care as they can sometimes be more open infection. All garden trees look at their best when their shape is of a natural habit so try not to change the shape of your tree too drastically, unless, off course, you understand what you are doing and have a planned shape or design in mind.