Many people know that late winter/early spring is a great time to prune many trees and shrubs. So, grab your pruners and rush right out – NO, wait!
It’s important to remember that not all plants need to be pruned in spring. Some plants, many viburnums for example, don’t need annual pruning. Always remember why you are pruning. There are several good reasons to prune in early spring:
- To remove broken or dead branches. These will be easy to see early in the season but can also be pruned out any time you notice them.
- To remove branches that cross (see photo to right) or branches that are growing inward or straight up. Such branches will crowd the major scaffolding branches of the plant, reducing light penetration. The plant will not grow as well as be as healthy unless some of the excess is removed.
- To improve plant structure. Especially on a young tree, you may find you need to remove a double leader (see photo to left) or cut off branches growing from a narrow crotch angle or that are crowded on one side of the trunk.
It’s also important to remember that not all trees and shrubs should be pruned in late winter/early spring. If the plant is grown mainly for summer foliage, now is the time to prune. However, if the plant is grown for spring flowers – forsythia, lilac, spirea, crabapples, hawthorns, and dogwoods, to name a few – don’t prune now. These shrubs and trees should be pruned after flowering.
It’s important to remember that not all plants need to be pruned in spring. Some plants, many viburnums for example, don’t need annual pruning. Always remember why you are pruning. There are several good reasons to prune in early spring:
- To remove broken or dead branches. These will be easy to see early in the season but can also be pruned out any time you notice them.
- To remove branches that cross (see photo to right) or branches that are growing inward or straight up. Such branches will crowd the major scaffolding branches of the plant, reducing light penetration. The plant will not grow as well as be as healthy unless some of the excess is removed.
- To improve plant structure. Especially on a young tree, you may find you need to remove a double leader (see photo to left) or cut off branches growing from a narrow crotch angle or that are crowded on one side of the trunk.
It’s also important to remember that not all trees and shrubs should be pruned in late winter/early spring. If the plant is grown mainly for summer foliage, now is the time to prune. However, if the plant is grown for spring flowers – forsythia, lilac, spirea, crabapples, hawthorns, and dogwoods, to name a few – don’t prune now. These shrubs and trees should be pruned after flowering.
No comments:
Post a Comment