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O'Hara Landscape & Maintenance, Inc. 1001 25th Ct. West Palm Beach, FL 33407 Phone: 561-655-9011 Fax: 561-655-2229 Toll Free: 800-926-9599 |
Informationals
 O'Hara Landscape Editorials
COMMERCIAL TRIMMING AND PRUNING
To trim or not to trim? It is a question that too often goes unasked
in the course of commercial landscape shrub and hedge services.
When it comes to cutting landscape materials, strict
deadlines can be set and met for the lawn mowing and tree trimming
operations. However, while schedules can be set for pruning and
trimming of the shrubs, hedges, and ornamentals, completion of these
operations must proceed in accordance with the requirements of the
different plant varieties.
Sending crowds of workers to maximize production and meet
air tight shrub clipping deadlines will most often result in uneven
hedge lines, reduced blooms and greenery, and a steady decline in the
health of the plants. This style of execution provides little or no
consideration for the appearance or needs of the plants themselves.
Ironically, many clients end up purchasing replacement landscaping from
the very organizations that set and met such trimming schedules in the
first place!
To achieve optimal results from the trimming and pruning
operations, the first priority is to keep crew sizes small (three to
eight men) and keep the workers close together. A crew leader might
possess all the pruning expertise in the world, but if his instructions
aren't clearly understood to his last man, mistakes will be frequent.
Then there is the methodology itself. Although level and
proper shape of formally trimmed hedges and plants is the easiest
component to understand, it is the most difficult and time consuming to
teach and execute if results are to be consistent. Indeed, producing
consistently straight hedges requires patience and physical strength on
the part of the worker doing the sculpting. He must therefore be
allowed the time needed to achieve his best results.
Crew leaders also have to recognize plant
varieties that are not to be formally trimmed in order to assure that
the power hedge trimmer detail passes these plants by during routine
operations. Non formal varieties include the obvious flowering shrubs,
large leaf plants, small palm trees, grasses, vines, and cane stemmed
plants.; These must be pruned less frequently, using hand pruners or
saws if hacking and loss of bloom are to be avoided.
Certain plant varieties tend to lose their lower foliage
over time, exposing stems and trunks even though they are healthy.
Successfully restoring the lower foliage in these plants sometimes
requires drastic pruning that can reduce their size by 25% to 75%.
This procedure should be performed on a minimal (as needed) basis
since regularly scheduled hard pruning can be harmful of fatal to many
plant varieties.
To trim or not to trim? The answer to this question can only be determined at the point of service.
© Thomas J. O'Hara, President
O'Hara Landscape & Maintenance, Inc. 1-800-926-9599 www.oharalandscape.com |