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Rules
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Remove damaged or dead branches when you notice them at any time during the year. Use a sharp clean saw to cut back to a vigorous side branch or right to the base. Clippers or loppers don't do as good a job on dead wood. Pinch off ends of branches that are growing too long. Remove suckers as they appear. Suckers are very strong, fast developing shoots which grow straight up from roots or branches. Their stems are usually bigger but not as strong as ordinary branches. If suckers have different foliage, they are growing from below the graft. Follow them back to the main stem and remove them carefully. Remove flowers as they fade so seed production is halted. Otherwise the total number of flowers produced will be significantly reduced. This is especially true for Lilac and Viburnum. Beginning in the second season of growth, weak or spindly growth should be cut back by 2/3s in order to strengthen your shrub's performance. Remove any dead or damaged branches missed during regular maintenance. Check for crossing branches. If the bark is rubbed through where two branches meet cut back the weaker or inward growing branch to a side branch or base. |