By Pat Dray
The Garden Spot
Pat Dray
The traditional thinking is to prune your spring blooming shrubs and trees in the fall after they have bloomed and before they set next year’s buds, while pruning the summer bloomers in the spring. So, what’s the trend to prune in winter about?
February and March are actually a good time to prune most woody trees and shrubs, especially on a clear and warmer day. You should check the weather forecast to be sure that there isn’t a drastic temperature drop since recently pruned plants can be damaged by severe temperature drops. We’ve seen some weeks that started out in the 50s and then dropped to the teens in a day, so keep these trends in mind.
There are several key reasons to prune your plants: to improve shape and form (aesthetics) and to promote plant health and new growth. The easiest way to determine if your tree or shrub is a good candidate for winter pruning is if it blooms on “old wood” versus “new wood.” The plants that you should not prune are those that set their buds on last year’s “old wood” and have early spring blooms such as azalea. Winter pruning for these plants would be pruning off the buds. These spring bloomers can be pruned later this year – about two weeks after flowering.
Now that the leaves have fallen from your deciduous trees and shrubs you have a clear view of their structure and any diseased, dead, or crossed branches that should be removed. The plants and most pests are dormant, so there is a smaller risk of pests or pathogens entering through a cut. Pruning while the plant is dormant allows the plant to recover prior to the start of new growth and lets your plants put energy toward new, healthy growth once they leave the dormancy in the warmer weather.
The evergreens are another question. Most evergreens like spruce, pine and fir rarely require pruning for aesthetic purposes. However, any diseased or dead wood should be removed at this time. Hemlocks, yews, arborvitae, juniper and cypress shrubs can be pruned in winter. The exception is pine, which should only be pruned for plant health reasons.
Take a break on one of the upcoming winter days, walk around your yard and give everyone the trim they need. Don’t forget to note that you’ve done so in your ever-present garden journal.
Of course, all of this assumes that your pruning shears were cleaned and sterilized in the fall. If they weren’t, please do that before you begin pruning.
Spring is coming; get out those plant and seed catalogs.
Pat Dray is a past president of the Garden Club of Orange and a master gardener.