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Any dead or dying wood should be removed as soon as noticed.In the case of summer-blooming shrubs pruning is best done in theearly spring after the leaves appear, in order to remove winter-killedtips. Old wood should be cut out to prevent shrubs from getting "leggy,i. e., having all top with no foliage around the base. In removing oldwood, cut to the base of the plant; otherwise sprouts will shoot up fromStumps and fail as the latter decay. New growth should always be. encouraged from the roots. Cutting back all branches, or givingshrubs an even shearing should be avoided, as strong shoots willdevelop and cause a too succulent and unbalanced top growth (SeePlate V). With transplanted stock a general rule is to removeabout one-fourth of the wood, to offset the loss of roots. Root pruningfor shrubs is similar to that of trees (See Chapter on " Planting andTransplanting "). |
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