Fripp Island Gardening
December 15, 2020
Local Nurseries
January 12, 2021
Pruning your trees and shrubs isn't difficult and is part of the overall maintenance of your landscaping. Understanding a few of the basics, and proper methods, of pruning will yield a healthier plant that's also beautiful. Proper pruning is done when you can't tell it has been pruned and the cuts are made inside the plant, under or behind remaining leaves. Also, as mentioned in our Gardening Basics post, always use clean tools. This will prevent the spread of disease from one plant to another.
The first step in pruning is to remove any dead or injured branches. Next, thin your plant by cutting select branches back to a side branch or the main trunk. This is recommended over removing small portions on the outer plant (as with a hedge trimmer) because it encourages new growth producing a fuller more attractive plant. If you have a plant that has outgrown it's location (too close to your home, for example), you may need to do what is called renewal pruning. This should be done after the last frost before spring growth has begun. Take your plant to about 8 to 12 inches from the ground level. Once new growth is about 12 inches long, you can do a second pruning of the tips to encourage branching and a more compact shrub."Most broadleaf shrubs such as azaleas, camellias, privets, glossy abelia, nandina and cleyera respond well to renewal pruning. Boxwoods, junipers, pines, cypress, cedar, arborvitae, yews and other narrow-leaf evergreens do not respond when severely pruned and may decline. Transplanting, instead of pruning, may be better for these plants when they overgrow a site." (Bob Polomski, PhD, Extension Consumer Horticulturist, Clemson University)
Tree-like Shrubs
Many landscaping shrubs are often trimmed to look like trees, with a single or multiple trunks. Examples of these include the crape myrtle and the yaupon holly. These 'trees' should be pruned in late winter before the plant breaks dormancy. Also, if you begin pruning your tree-like shrubs when they are young, the job will be less cumbersome as the tree ages. Begin by removing all but 3-5 'trunks', depending on your desired look, followed by thinning the crown. On any plant, you'll want to make the cut just above a bud that faces the direction you want your new branch to grow.
Hedges
If you are pruning hedges, you'll want to start when they are young to encourage a tightly-spaced series of branches. Begin by cutting to about 12 inches above ground. Periodic, regular pruning is best for shaping your hedge. This can be done with shears or a trimmer, depending on whether you want an organic look (shear individual branches) or something like a box shape, using a hedge trimmer.
Flowering Trees, Shrubs and Vines
When it comes to flowering trees and shrubs, one of the first things to consider is the timing. Certain plants are better pruned during the spring prior to the summer blooms while others should be done after flowering for blooms the following spring*. At the end of the day, remember to use clean tools, understand your plants growing pattern and begin your pruning as soon as you can, the younger the plant, the better.
*Source: The Spruce
Early Spring Pruning (while dormant):
- Bradford Pear (Pyrus calleryana)
- Butterfly Bush(Buddleia Davidii)
- Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)
- Flowering Dogwood(Cornus florida)
- Flowering Plum (Prunus blireana)
- Glossy Abelia(Abelia x grandiflora)
- Golden Rain Tree (Koelreuteria paniculata)
- Honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissiam)
- Hydrangea, Peegee (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’)
- Potentilla(Potentilla fruticosa)
- Redbud(Cercis canadensis)
- Spirea (except Bridal Wreath) (Spirea japonica))
- Wisteria(Wisteria species)
Late Spring/Early Summer Pruning (after the bloom):
- Azalea(Rhododendron species)
- Beautybush (Kolkwitzia amabilis)
- Bridal Wreath Spirea(Spirea x vanhouttei)
- Flowering Crabapple (Malus species and cultivars)
- Forsythia(Forsythia x intermedia)
- Hawthorn (Crataegus species and cultivars)
- Hydrangea, Bigleaf (Hydrangea macrophylla)
- Lilac(Syringa vulgaris)
- Magnolia(Magnolia species and cultivars)
- Mockorange(Philadelphus coronarius)
- Mountain Laurel(Kalmia latifolia)
- Rhododendron (Rhododendron species)
- Serviceberry (Amelanchier x grandiflora)
- Slender Deutzia (Deutzia gracilis)
- Weigela(Weigela florida)
