Plant Identification and Pruning

[iquack4u]

I am wondering where I can find a fairly exhaustive resource to use to identify shrubs that would as give some pruning advice. I have a few customers with lots of overgrown shrubs. They want them cut back hard and now is the time to do it, but I am not sure how hard is safe. I certainly do not want to be responsible for dead shrubs from overpruning. Thanks for your advice.

[Rdizzle79]

Believe it or not I found some great plant and garden encyclopedias in the garden/plant section at a local book store. You can even find them at the bigger ones too. Heres a hint: Usually no one buys these books so most of the time they are discounted

[Slcareco]

Take a picture of it and post it... ill identify it for you!

[sheshovel]

Believe it or not I found some great plant and garden encyclopedias in the garden/plant section at a local book store. You can even find them at the bigger ones too. Heres a hint: Usually no one buys these books so most of the time they are discounted

This is a great learning resourse.. when useing a plant encyclopedia..you need to know the name of what your looking for most of the time.. for begginers..I suggest a complete handbook of pruning ........and I hate Ortho books
I also suggest "Sunset Eastern Garden Book" and "Sunset Western Garden Book" those books have a section on pruning plants and shrubs in the back of the book..
But for the most comprehensive Encyclopedia ever
that has lots of pics ,discription, cultivation info and pruning groups for over 15000 plants buy
A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants..by The American Horitcultural Society..it is well worth the investment.It is the best plant encyclopedia in the world out right now..... bar none.

[Grn Mtn]

great selection at www.amerinursery.com

take a sample to your local nursery, mine always have very knowledgeable people on staff that can help.

[sheshovel]

Makes it much more difficult to learn if you let others do your ID work for you.Plus it won't stick in your head..get a good book,look it up yourself..then if you need to confurm take a piece in.A person does not always have the time to be running back and forth from the job to the nursery to get an ID on a plant.Carry your book with you in your truck.Everybody should learn the names of the plants used and grown the most in your area,and how to care for them.A little knowlage is very profitable in this biz

[Slcareco]

Get the Dirr book of woodys plants has everything you can imagineeeeeeeee

[daveintoledo]

dont forget your public library many of the suggested reading may be there for free

[Grn Mtn]

Makes it much more difficult to learn if you let others do your ID work for you....

Sheshovel has a good point, however the self-taught method is flawed if you miss identify from lack of experience. Take a sample to your nursery, but attempt to identify it first yourself. Explain to the staff you think this sample is a "Viburnum", but your not sure, and want to know the best way to prune it (hard).

This will also help you establish a good relationship with the nursery over time.

MANUAL OF WOODY LANDSCAPE PLANTS, by Dr. Michael A. Dirr: 5th edition, 1998 $67.95 approx.

[sheshovel]

Yes that's why I said
"if you need to confirm,take a piece in."

[Lugnut]

as for pruning you can safely prune back up to 1/3 of the plant

[Grn Mtn]

Yes that's why I said
"if you need to confirm,take a piece in."

the problem is if you incorrectly identified it first off. there is nothing wrong with having someone double check you when your first starting off. and as i mentioned before, getting a good relationship with the nursery can come in handy if you end up needing plant replacement out side of any warranty.

[sheshovel]

Agreed but if every newbee came into my local nursery all the time wanting to have them ID plants for them untell they learned all of the ones they need to learn..that would not be condusive to building a good relationship with the nursery
that would be condusive to the nursery considering you a PITA

[out4now]

dont forget your public library many of the suggested reading may be there for free

thats where i used to start before buying up some of the titles off half.com

[Dreams To Designs]

Quacker, as for ID, books are good, but hands on instruction is better. How do you think the folks in the garden centers learned what they are looking at. If you want to be more professional and impress your clients, find a class or seminar about ID and/or pruning and be better than the rest. Many schools offer short courses directed at landscapers during the winter, or slow time of the season. You would be best suited to know and understand what you are looking at and be able to make educated decisions about how to prune or not for yourself. I can on the other hand share a plant pruning list which gives common names and the best time to prune or to leave them alone. It was published by the Virginia Cooperative Extension and covers a good deal of the plant material you might see in the transition zones. Your local cooperative extension may have similar information for your area available.

Kirk

[iquack4u]

Thanks, I think I will try the bookstore tomorrow!

[PxPx]

I have done a fair share of pruning trees. It's not really something you can read about. I had hands on experience which I still remeber (about 2 1/2 years out of the tree industry). Don't get me wrong though, I did a bit of reading, just nothing compares to real world experience. Also, different species need different needs, which I would assume can be read up on quite a bit. I was thankful for the experience I learned, and I'm glad I haven't forgotten it!