Spring-flowering trees and shrubs: --These should be pruned right after they bloom since they.

In an informal setting, shrubs are not pruned into rigid shapes but are thinned as needed to emphasize their layers of tiered branches, gracefully cascading limbs, or irregular outlines.

Pruning for a Natural or Formal Style. The pruning techniques chosen determine whether the pruned plant takes on a formal shape or retains its natural shape.

May 24, Formal hedge. Pruned with hedge shears to a definite size and shape one or more times a year. To establish a formal hedge, small shrubs one to three years old should be cut back to about three to five inches above the ground. This will force new shoots at the base of the plant to develop into a thick, bushy shrub. Once a hedge reaches the desired height, select an informal or formal pruning style. An informal style is best for a low-maintenance landscape.

Informally pruned hedges assume a natural growth habit. Prune only “as needed” to remove dead or diseased wood and head back just enough to maintain the desired height and width. Formal or clipped hedges require specialized pruning, which can be a continuous. There are two basic types of pruning methods for hedges--formal and informal (natural) (Figure 16).

Formal hedges are usually sheared and have a defined, controlled shape. Informal or natural hedges are usually pruned and have a shape that is determined by the. As formal hedge it may require pruning 2 or 3 times per year, as an informal hedge, it may never need pruning at all.

Pinnacle Syzygium australe ‘AATS’ PBR is an ideal lily pily for creating formal topiary shapes, including cone shapes, and formal narrow hedges. As an informal hedge it has a naturally dense and narrow habit making it perfect for narrow spaces.