To Prune, or not?
Now is a great time to prune! You can see what you are doing before the leaves come out. It isn't bitterly cold any more. After the long winter it can feel good to do something outside beside shovel snow! There are some things that could just use a bit of tidying up maybe. A few that you have been meaning to get to. And that one you just want to take your frustrations out on. Don't turn it into a major project. Don't worry about doing it perfectly. To steal Nike's line - Just Do It!
Here are a few things to remember:
Any branches you cut off will not bloom. Now, when you stop and think about that it sounds obvious. Very obvious! So for early spring blooming plants you may want to choose to wait. Wait? Didn't I just tell you to do it? It all depends how much you want the plant pruned. Now, the plant does not care when you prune it. Pruning now will reduce the bloom this year only because you are physically removing the branches and flower buds. So if you don't mind reduced bloom this one time you can do it now. Otherwise wait until just after it has finished blooming. Plants that flower in the summer and fall are not affected in general by spring pruning.
On shrubs, take off any broken, damaged or diseased branches first. Then any that are growing in a direction you don't want them to. On most shrubs that's all you will need to do. Quick and easy with minimal decision making. If it's an older shrub that need some rejuvenating, you can then take the next step. Choose one third of the oldest branches. Cut those off right near ground level. This will make room for new young vigorous branches to take their place. Young branches will flower better and often be more disease resistant.
Pruning can be a great stress reliever. I tell people the best time to prune is when you're having bad day! There is a lot more that can be said on pruning. But those are the basics. Grab some pruners, a cup of coffee, and have at it!
Now is a great time to prune! You can see what you are doing before the leaves come out. It isn't bitterly cold any more. After the long winter it can feel good to do something outside beside shovel snow! There are some things that could just use a bit of tidying up maybe. A few that you have been meaning to get to. And that one you just want to take your frustrations out on. Don't turn it into a major project. Don't worry about doing it perfectly. To steal Nike's line - Just Do It!
Here are a few things to remember:
Any branches you cut off will not bloom. Now, when you stop and think about that it sounds obvious. Very obvious! So for early spring blooming plants you may want to choose to wait. Wait? Didn't I just tell you to do it? It all depends how much you want the plant pruned. Now, the plant does not care when you prune it. Pruning now will reduce the bloom this year only because you are physically removing the branches and flower buds. So if you don't mind reduced bloom this one time you can do it now. Otherwise wait until just after it has finished blooming. Plants that flower in the summer and fall are not affected in general by spring pruning.
On shrubs, take off any broken, damaged or diseased branches first. Then any that are growing in a direction you don't want them to. On most shrubs that's all you will need to do. Quick and easy with minimal decision making. If it's an older shrub that need some rejuvenating, you can then take the next step. Choose one third of the oldest branches. Cut those off right near ground level. This will make room for new young vigorous branches to take their place. Young branches will flower better and often be more disease resistant.
Pruning can be a great stress reliever. I tell people the best time to prune is when you're having bad day! There is a lot more that can be said on pruning. But those are the basics. Grab some pruners, a cup of coffee, and have at it!
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