Pruning Hedges to Provide Screening

An ideal hedge for screening patio areas should have dense foliage from the base to the very top of the plants. In order to develop a hedge with these qualities, the gardener should prune the plants in such a manner as to encourage the plants to develop branches and leaves at the lower portion at the time of planting and until the desired height is reached. The procedures for pruning shrubs are simple, but in many instances the basic principles are overlooked or not put into practice simply because the gardener does not want to sacrifice the growth of the plants before they reach the desired height.