Selective Pruning is the art of using hand pruners, loping shears, and a pruning knife to make select cuts to the interior and the exterior of the plant maintaining the natural form as opposed to simply scalping the plant with hedge shears.
Selective pruning allows sunlight to reach the interior of the plant and maximum air circulation through the plant promoting normal growth habits, decreases fungal and disease activity while increasing the longevity of the plant.
Repeated shearing of shrubs creates a barrier, or shield, to the exterior of the plant not allowing sunlight and proper air circulation to the interior of the plant resulting in poor growth habits, disease, and eventually the demise of the shrub.