(NAPSI)—Pruning shrubs helps produce new and healthier growth plus keeps them at a manageable size. Here are a few tips to help: 1. Cut at an angle a quarter of an inch above a bud. If the cut is any closer, the bud may not survive and the branch will die. 2. Prune flowering shrubs in late winter or early spring, before they flower, or, for spring-flowering shrubs, after they flower. 3. Every few years, remove about one-third of the branches-including dead wood, weak growth and broken and diseased branches. 4. Winter-hardy shrubs die back to the ground each year. In the spring, cut off all dead branches to about six inches from the ground. 5. Start with the right cutting and collecting tools. For example, The Gardener’s Hollow Leg is a handy recycled polyester sack with a belt attached that can reduce the need to bend over. Worn around the waist, the sack leaves hands free to collect trimmings and debris, deadhead or harvest, making it safer for ladder tasks, too. Comfortable and ergonomically correct, the sack eliminates lugging around a bucket or creating piles of clippings that must later be picked up. A strap on the bottom makes it easy to dump debris into the compost pile when the job is done. It’s a great gift idea for gardeners. For more information, visit www.thegardenershollowleg.com.   On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate(NAPSI)

Every few years, remove a third of the branches. (NAPS)