Greenhouse Gardening Articles

Tuesday, 21 April 2009

What Should You Prune In Your Garden at Springtime?

Knowing when to prune is an essential skill as it helps you maintain healthy, good-looking, and long-lasting plants, which will thrive in your beautiful garden:

March/April - Early Spring

Variety: Semi-woody perennials
Activity: Help produce strong new stems and best flower display by cutting back to about 4 inches
Hint: Anytime during the winter is also OK to cut back these plants.

Variety: Ornamental grasses
Activity: Cut as close to the ground as possible.
Hint: Make the the job fast and easy by tying the top of the grasses together first.

Variety: Summer-flowering trees, shrubs, vines, hydrangea, and roses
Action: Reduce in size if required, also prune out damaged, dead or crowded stems. Now is a good time to prune the plant into the required shape.
Hint: Spring fertilization and adequate moisture in the summer will maximize number and size of summer blooms as summer flower buds develop on new growth. .

Variety: Broad-leaved evergreens (bay, laurel)
Activity: Winter-injured foliage should be pruned out by removing the affected stems.
Hint: New growth will quickly cover cut tips if you choose to use shears later in the spring

Check back in a few weeks for my late spring/early summer pruning tips

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