Pruning What is pruning or deadheading?
Pruning or deadheading is the act of cutting away twigs or branches of a plant. Pruning is done to a) remove dead or diseased plant material; b) remove spent blooms and en- courage new blooms; c) improve the form or shape of a plant; d) encourage growth in a different direction. Why should I prune? In general, plants
will not die if not pruned, but pruning can encourage new growth and help resist in- sect infestations and disease by cutting out dead material. For perennials and annuals, pruning or deadheading depends on the plant. Some perennials such as delphiniums can be encouraged to bloom a second time by pruning or cutting back the plant after the first bloom. The bloom time of many annuals can be extended by both deadhead-
ing and pruning. Petunias, for example, can become leggy and spindly in mid summer. Severely cutting them back can encourage vigorous growth as the plant struggles to perpetuate itself by producing a new crop of seeds. What about pruning shrubs and woody
plants? Woody plants require careful consid- eration before pruning. If the shrub produces flowers, you need to know if the blooms are produced on new wood or old to avoid los- ing a season’s blooms. If blooms are on old wood, prune only immediately after the flow- ers fade. Pruning shrubs means more than just giving the plant a haircut. Many shrubs benefit from thinning, which means cutting out heavy growth from the root up. Cutting out dead or diseased branches can be done at any time.
Weeds How can I tell if it’s a weed? You can’t.
Weeds are simply plants that you want to discourage. Some of us curse certain plants almost universally, but it wasn’t always that way. The dandelions that plague lawn grow- ers today were once the pioneer pharmaco- peia and even today we are learning that they may have virtues in healing cancers. What can I do? Some plants are more successful than others and as a result can become invasive in our gardens. Pull them
out. Weeds are most vulnerable in early spring when their starch reserves are low. Pulling and cutting now can save many hours of labour in the summer. But the weeds have invaded my lawn...
This is a big problem. Depending on the weed and the depth of its root system, this problem may be solved by smothering the infected area with black plastic and when all the plant life is dead, reseeding or sodding the area with new grass.
How should I prune? Don’t leave
stubs. Always prune or deadhead back to the nearest node or the place where new growth would begin. If pruning out dis- ease, sterilize pruners in a solution of 10 per cent bleach mixed with water between each cut.
What about deadheading? This is done
to remove spent blossoms and to encourage continued flowering. Deadhead the whole flowerhead back the nearest node. Can all plants be cut back severely and
survive? No. Some will succumb to such treatment; others will thrive. Check first. The trees and shrubs that will thrive howev- er, will benefit from such treatment in that it will keep them forever young. Some of those that thrive include willows, poplars, Siberian elms, lilacs, and caraganas.
22 • Summer 2012
www.localgardener.net
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