The trick to keeping a beautiful and healthy garden is to know how to prune your plants as well as when to prune your plants. Most garden settings need a regular pruning, as this will greatly benefit the health and production of the plants. Many plants prefer to be pruned during their dormant periods, typically in the late winter to early spring. Some plants will need to be pruned immediately after they flower, while others need to be continually tended to by deadheading to keep them flowering.
Pruning during the wrong time of the year will not kill your plants; it may just result in fewer flowers or fruits. The only exception to this rule is pruning too late in the season, this can cause the tender new growth to be killed by the cold weather. It is important to understand when the plants need pruned to avoid harming them. The first step to pruning it having the proper tools. Your tools should be sharp and clean, as this is better for the plants and will make your task easier. The basic tools needed to properly prune your plants are hand pruners, loppers, shearers, and saws.
Flowering Trees and Shrubs can be a very confusing set of plants when it comes to pruning. It is a general rule to prune summer and fall flowering trees and shrubs during their dormant season, which is typically late winter to early spring. You should consider caring for your trees about the same time of year you bring out your garden fountains for the spring and summer season.Spring flowering trees and shrubs should be pruned as soon as their flowers fade. For flowers like clematis, hydrangea and roses pruning can be difficult since they tend to bloom at many different times. Spring bloomers should be pruned after they have finished flowering, and often fall or summer flowers do not need pruned at all, but with no care they tend to grow together and become a messy tangle of plants.
Almost all fruiting plants will need to be pruned during their dormant period. This is key to pruning fruit bearing trees as there is only once chance to set drops for the next year. Flowering plants will continue to bloom to some degree even if they are not pruned, but fruit trees and berries will decline unless they are pruned. This occurs for many reasons, older branches are susceptible to disease and pests, and many plants prefer to produce only on branches of certain age. Pruning needs to be given high priority as this is what will give you a good harvest.
Often the Evergreen trees are overlooked when it comes to pruning. This is a good thing, because these trees do not need pruned. If you try to prune an evergreen to keep the size in check it will just distort the shape of the plant. If size is important simply choose a dwarf species that will not grow as large, you then also put these plants inside of garden planters. If the goal is a large and full tree, try pruning the tree while it is young because the larger the tree becomes the harder this will be to accomplish.
Perennial plants require the most intensive pruning, with the non-woody perennial being rather labor intensive. It is simply impractical to think perennials can be planted and then ignored. Perennials often need to be cut back at some point, either before or after their growing season. They will need to be deadheaded or sheared regularly. Working with plants regularly will help to determine when to prune and how much to prune. Pruning becomes a kind of art, allowing a garden setting to become a stunning and beautiful place, as well as a great conversation starter.
