Pruning

Pruning is a vital part of plant and tree care. The following guide can be useful to help you prune properly.

Three basic tools suffice for most pruning jobs: shears, loppers, and a pruning saw. Keep them sharp for clean cuts; disinfect after pruning diseased material.

1. Prune Roses

Prune in winter or early spring when plants are still dormant. Prune plants to maintain symmetrical bushes and to encourage strong new growth. Cut back all previous years growth approximately one-third its length. Remove branches that cross through center and remove plants understock. Also prune weak and dead stems as needed. This tends to encourage strong new growth.

2. Prune Crepe Myrtles

The best time to prune crepe myrtles is in February. Prune out twiggy stems and any dead wood. Thin out crossing or crowding branches in the plants center. If tree form, prune lower branches. Prune top |to keep symmetry. Each year after flowering, cut 12 to 18 inches off the tips of branches that have bloomed.

3. Prune Hollies

Prune in winter or early spring mostly to shape plants. Cut back wayward branches and prune out weak unproductive dead stems as needed.

4. Prune Butterfly Bushes

Butterfly bushes bloom in summer on new spring growth. They may be pruned in late winter or early spring. By pruning old blooms you are going to encourage new flowers. Also prune out old dead and unproductive branches.

5. Prune Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas fall into two groups. Some you prune in early spring and others after the flowers fade.

1. Early Spring Pruning

Hydrangeas bloom on new growth. These plants are Climbing Hydrangea, Annabelle, Grandiflora, and PeeGees.

2. After-Bloom Pruning

Hydrangeas bloom on last years stems. Included in this are Bigleaf Hydrangeas, Oakleaf Hydrangeas, Lacecaps, SummerBeauty, and Nikko Blue. Pruning should be done when the flower has faded. Cut back the flowering stems to the strongest pair of new shoots. As plants mature, begin to thin out the oldest woody stems. Remove crowded crossing, broken, or dead branches.

6. Prune Clematis
Clematis can be put in three categories: Spring-flowering, summer-flowering , and twice-flowering.

1. Spring-blooming

Clematis produce flowers on stems that grew in the previous year. Prune when flowers are done blooming. Cut back the flowers that are dead. Prune out any old dead stems also.

2. Summer-blooming

Plants bloom on new growth produced in the spring. Cut back stems before new growth begins. Late autumn or early spring is a good time to prune. Cut back about 12 inches of old growth. Every year the vine will grow larger and stronger.

3. Twice-blooming

Plants first bloom in spring on stems produced the previous year. Late summer or fall would be the next bloom time. In late fall or very early spring, prune lightly to thin the stems. After the spring bloom, prune more heavily to get more healthy stems to develop for the next bloom. After the second bloom, prune old flowers away.

7.Prune Fruit Trees

By far the most common fruit trees are apple, peach, pear and cherry.

1. Apple Trees

Apple treesneeds to be pruned in late winter or early spring before new growth starts. Always remove all suckers (summer is a superb time). Also remove dead along with otherunproductive limbs as needed.

2. Peach Trees

Peach trees are fast growing and ought to be pruned in winter. Without pruning the peaches will grow farther from the tree’s center. This may put great strain on the branches, causing them to break. In winter, thin out upward-growing branches that cross in tree’s center.

3. Pear Trees

Prune back in early spring. Always prune dead and unproductive branches as needed.

4. Cherry Trees

Prune in winter. Prune out branches that cross in center and dead unproductive branches as needed.

8. Prune Azaleas and Rhododendrons

They may be pruned in winter or early spring. However pruning at that time will prevent plants from producing many blooms. The most effective time to prune azaleas and rhododendrons is definitely after their blooming period in spring.When you prune at that time, no additional pruning is going to benecessary.

9 Prune Junipers

Junipers need very minimal pruning. They ought tobe pruned to correct their shape, to accent their form,as well as to limit their size. This should always be done during the juniper’s growing stages in mid-summer.

10. Prune Flowering Trees

Flowering trees need to be pruned once they have finished blooming. Prune as little as possible. Dead branches, branches that cross in the center, and branches which are unproductive need to be pruned out.

Three basic tools suffice for most pruning jobs: shears, loppers, and a pruning saw. Keep them sharp for clean cuts; disinfect after pruning diseased material.