Knowing When To Prune
Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a great holiday season. This is the time of year when gardeners are looking through catalogs for inspiration and trying to figure out what they are going to add to their landscape. If you are like me, you have many ideas and you can’t wait to get started.
I took a walk around my landscape to see if there was anything that I needed to do before spring arrives. I looked at my Rose-of-Sharon and immediately thought about pruning, but knowing when to prune is very important.
It is important to understand that energy reserves are at their highest while a plant is dormant. In the spring, the plant is actively growing and energy reserves are low. The best time to prune is in late winter and early spring before the buds start to swell and open and while the plants are still dormant. The next best time would be early summer after the foliage has matured. Summer pruning should be done for purposes of height reduction and increasing shrub density.
Pruning in the late summer and early fall is not recommended. Pruning late in the growing season will encourage new growth on the plant that may not mature in time to withstand a winter freeze or an early fall frost. Never prune when the temperature is below 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Knowing when to prune is crucial for dependable flower blossoms. Since most gardeners will be pruning flowering trees and shrubs, please remember these two general rules:
1. Plants that flower before July 1st should be pruned immediately following
flowering (ex., azaleas, forsythias, plums, and oak leaf hydrangeas).
2. Plants that flower after July 1st should be pruned in late winter or early spring
before growth starts (ex., crape myrtle, Rose-of-Sharon, butterfly bush and roses).
Observing these guidelines will lead to beautiful flowering trees and shrubs.
Now that you know when to prune, be sure to have your pruners and loppers sharpened and oiled before you get started!
Until next time, happy gardening!