As a full-service tree company, we spend a lot of time taking down or removing dead wood from large, unsafe trees. This is an important part of tree care, but we also take pride in our crews that specialize in custom pruning of small trees and shrubs. This par – ticular aspect of our services, we feel, is unrivaled.
When custom pruning, health, beauty, vigor and plant longevity are the four goals we focus on. Every species of tree or shrub has different characteristics that need to be taken into account.
For example, boxwoods and crab – apples are prone to disease, and a primary concern when pruning them is to remove diseased branches in a way that prevents the disease from spreading to the rest of the plant. Lilacs need to have old growth removed in order to increase vigor and flower production. Flowering shrubs, such as azaleas and rhododendrons, should be pruned after flowering if they are going to be cut back significantly. Crape myrtles should be pruned in late winter or early spring because of their susceptibility to winter damage.
Hedge pruning also requires a combination of experience and craftsmanship. If a hedge is simply sheared without any allowance for sunlight penetration to the lower and inner branches, it will eventually become sparse, overgrown, and ragged looking.
The management of a garden is an art form that requires experience, knowledge, and an eye for beauty. We believe that our excellent custom pruning distinguishes McFarland managed properties from others.
McFarland has maintained this beautiful Japanese Cutleaf Maple for over 25 years—an example of how proper custom pruning increases plant beauty, vigor and longevity.