How Do I Prune My Trees and Shrubs So they Really Grow?
Prune these specimens in the late winter or early spring for later thicker foliage.
Pruning in early spring is a key task that lays the groundwork for a healthy garden the rest of the growing season. If you prune, dehead and cut certain plants correctly, you can encourage your garden to fill in with dense leaves and profuse flowers. Read on to discover the plants that you should prune in early spring, how to care for your outdoor area and how to steer clear of pruning mistakes.
Why Use Early-Spring Pruning Technique?
When you snip to remove any dead, damaged, or diseased branches, you can improve the health and the aesthetics of your plants. It also stimulates new growth, promotes better air circulation and allows more sunlight to penetrate the inner canopy of shrubs and trees. Pruning also helps to shape plants and keep them from getting huge so they fit snuggly in your garden.
Identifying Plants That Benefit from Early-Spring Pruning
Pruning in early spring is beneficial to some plants but detrimental to others. Here are a few types of plants that need to be pruned early in the spring:
Summer-Flowering Deciduous Shrubs
Summer-flowering deciduous shrubs should be pruned in early spring. Now is the right time to promote new shoots and buds. Some examples of these plants are:
- Butterfly bush
- Crape myrtle
- Rose of Sharon
Prune these shrubs in late winter or early spring before they leaf out. This time of year the structure of the plants is visible and you can make exact cuts more easily.
Random-branching conifer trees and shrubs
In addition, conifer trees and shrubs with an irregular branching habit can be pruned in early spring. These include the following:
- Arborvitae
- Holly
- Juniper
- Yew
The spring new growth will be more apparent and lighter in color, making it easier to prune. This gives time for cuts to heal and new buds to develop. Overgrown shrubs will require thinning cuts. Cut back to a branch with needles or leaves — new growth should appear from that point.
Deciduous Perennial Vines
In early spring, prune deciduous perennial vines that flower on new growth. These include the following:
- Boston ivy
- Climbing hydrangea
- Trumpet vine
Cut back these vines in late winter or early spring to tame their growth and encourage successful branching. You may trim ivies any time, though heavy shaping should be reserved for late winter or early spring, before leaves appear.
Essential Tools for Early-Spring Pruning
Collect the following tools before starting to prune:
Hand Pruners
When cutting branches up to 3/4 inch in diameter, use hand pruners. Use bypass pruners for live wood and anvil pruners for dead wood.
Loppers
Use loppers to prune limbs with diameters between 3/4 inch and 1 1/2 inches. They give you added leverage on stubborn cuts, and you can use them to get to higher limbs.
Pruning Saws
If the diameter of the branch is more than 1 1/2 inches, use a pruning saw. They range in size and style from a folding saw, which is easy to store, to pole saws that allow you to trim branches from the safety of the ground.
Five Tips for Pruning Well in Early Spring
Use these five pruning tricks to keep your plants healthy and beautiful:
Heading Cuts
This allows for side branching and bushier growth. Make your cut at a 45-degree angle that’s about 1/4 inch above an outward-facing bud. This will allow for more outward growth.
Thinning Cuts
Thinning cuts are those that remove whole branches to the nearest limb or trunk. The technique promotes air circulation and light penetration while maintaining the plant’s natural shape. Make these cuts outside the branch collar and without leaving a stub.
Rejuvenation Pruning
Rejuvenation pruning means taking old, overgrown shrubs down to 6 to 12 inches of the ground. This extreme method triggers new growth from the base of the plant. This approach is to be used when dealing with shrubs that respond well to hard pruning.
Deadheading
Deadheading means pinching off wilted blooms. This isn’t usually thought of as pruning, but it’s a useful early-spring task that promotes repeat blooming and keeps plants from expending unnecessary energy making seeds.
Shaping
Shaping is the selective pruning of a plant to bring it to a desired shape. This is particularly helpful when managing hedges and topiaries. Use a mix of heading cuts and thinning cuts to keep the plant’s shape while letting in light.
Prune Timing
Timing is critical to successful early-spring pruning. Here’s when to begin pruning, and on which plants:
When to Start Pruning
Start pruning after the worst of winter is over, but before new growth appears. This falls sometime between late February and early April most places.
Plants That Need Pruning in Late Winter
Prune dormant deciduous trees and shrubs in late winter. These include fruit trees, shade trees and summer-flowering shrubs. Because plants are starting to grow again this spring, they will heal quickly from the wounds of pruning if it is done this time of year.
Plants That Need Pruning in Early Spring
Early spring is the ideal time to prune spring-flowering shrubs that bloom on old wood, including forsythia and lilac. Do this only after they have flowered, however, so you don’t inadvertently cut off flower buds. Now is also a good time to prune evergreens.
Common Errors to Avoid in Early-Spring Pruning
When you start pruning, do not make the common mistakes below.
Over-Pruning
Pruning away more than 50% can stress out plants and starve them of energy-producing photosynthesis. Never take more than 25 percent of any one plant’s live growth in a season.
Improper Cutting Techniques
Rough cuts in the wrong places can cause disease, stunted growth or death. Always cut just above a bud or branch collar and don’t leave a stub or make a flush cut against the trunk.
Neglecting Tool Maintenance
Out of shape or filthy tools can injure plants and transmit illness. Wipe down your tools with rubbing alcohol once you finish pruning one plant and before you start with another.
Ignoring Plant Health
Before you can prune successfully, you have to know your plant’s health. Be cautious about pruning plants that are stressed or unhealthy, as they could have a hard time bouncing back. The plant’s general wellbeing and growth habits should always come first.
What NOT to Prune in Early Spring
Plenty of plants benefit from early-spring pruning, but you should leave the plants below alone at this time:
Spring-Flowering Shrubs
Do not prune spring-flowering shrubs like azaleas and rhododendrons in early spring. These plants form flower buds a year before they actually grow, so blooming the following year will be removed when the plants are pruned in early spring. Instead, prune these shrubs after they have flowered.
Certain Hydrangea Varieties
Traditional mophead hydrangeas produce buds on the previous year’s growth. It’s technically OK to remove dead wood and spent flowers, but you want to avoid major shaping until late summer, so you don’t remove flowers for next season.
Early-Blooming Perennials
Avoid cutting back early-blooming perennials like peonies and bleeding hearts before they have flowered. These plants depend on the previous year’s leaves to power spring growth and flowers.
Specific Fruit Trees
Certain fruit trees (including cherries and apricots) can be prone to disease if you prune them in early spring. Instead, delay pruning these trees until late summer or early fall. Well packed dry sap prevents fungal infection, thus helps in plants health.
Aftercare for Pruned Plants
Pruning, although necessary, leaves your flora in a damaged state so it is important to care for your plants. Follow the directions below.
Watering Practices
Watered plants regularly, especially during dry spells. This lowers stress and encourages healthy new growth.
Fertilization Tips
After doing that, spread a mellow, slow-release fertilizer near the base of any plants you’ve pruned to help spur new growth. Avoid over-fertilizing, as this causes weak, leggy growth.
Mulching Techniques
Add a 2–3 inch layer of organic mulch around pruned plants (but do not mound mulch against the plant’s trunk or stems). Mulch aids in moisture retention, soil temperature regulation, and weed control. This enables the plants to invest energy into new growth instead.
Monitoring Growth
Check on pruned plants regularly to confirm that they’re recovering adequately and responding positively to those cuts. Look for signs of stress, disease, or pests and take quick action if you see anything wrong.
