flower is formed on. When plants flower on new wood they can
be pruned in early spring before the new growth starts. Exam-
ples of this type of plant are: butterfly bush, Annabelle hydran-
gea, peegee hydrangea, caryopteris, clethra, Rose of Sharon and
crape myrtle. In late March or early April you can cut these
back hard if you want to maintain their size and you will not
jeopardize flowers later in the year. Although privet and burn-
ing bush (Euonymus atlatus) don’t have showy flowers, they
benefit from an early spring shear if you are trying to maintain
their size.
Other plants flower on the previous season’s growth or old
wood. The flowers that bloom in spring are formed the previ-
ous year. These plants need to be sheared right after blooming
so you don’t remove the part of the plant that forms the flower
buds that will bloom the following spring. Examples of these
plants include: rhododendron, azalea, hydrangea, lilac, forsythia
and most of our flowering trees and shrubs. Sometimes a shrub
doesn’t flower or bloom because, unknowingly, the flower buds,
or the wood that creates the flower buds, were pruned off the
plant in late summer, fall or early spring.
Evergreens are another area of knowledge. There is such
a wide range of them, and each type has its own way to be
pruned. Small needled/leafed evergreens like yews, Japanese
holly and boxwood are best trimmed in summer, right after they
push out their new growth, which generally happens once a ment is sharp. Don’t try to prune with blunt secateurs as you will have uneven cuts
year in June. If you want to reduce the amount of new growth on pine trees, you can which allow disease to enter the plant. Sharpen your tools regularly and keep them
cut their candles in half, before they open, in late spring. clean to help make the job easier. After cutting a sick or diseased branch, use rubbing
To prune efficiently you need to have the right tool for the job. The best type of alcohol to sterilize and clean the cutting/pruning tool.
pruning shear is one that has a by-pass blade as opposed to an anvil blade. By-pass Although pruning is a vast subject, there are some basic techniques that you can
blades will create a clean cut, whereas anvil blades tend to crush the stem, creating safely and easily complete. As you learn about the plants you have in your garden
a jagged edge that’s harder to heal. By-pass blades work like a pair of scissors and pruning will become easier and your garden will look and become healthier and
have two sharp cutting edges. On the other hand anvil blades have one sharp cutting more beautiful. So get out into the garden and start doing some tasks out there. Not
edge which is pushed against a flat surface, the anvil. Make sure your pruning equip- only will your garden feel the benefit but so will your own body.
2
Northshoerian JuneJuly 2009.indd23 23 6/16/2009 1:17:05 PM
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