Tips For Pruning

Top Pruning Techniques:

• Definition – Pruning is “trimming away” dead, discolored and overgrown stems and branches to increase growth of plants. Pruning promotes further flower/plant growth, keeps insects and disease away, and prevents plants from getting too sparse. Plants benefit the most from pruning during spring and summer (typical growing seasons). Insects and pests are attracted to dead and decaying leaves, so it is best to trim/prune once a leaf turns fully yellow.
• Timing – Pruning is best done after the first display of plants/flowers. Stop pruning after the plants’/flowers’ growing season. Throughout the plants’ growing season, pruning regularly will create lush plants that will encourage new growth; pruning less often will result in “less-full” plants. Prune much less frequently in the fall and winter seasons, as plants are not growing as quickly and it will take them longer to recover from the trimming. Too much pruning in the fall/winter can stimulate new growth that may not “harden off” before colder temperatures roll in, leading to damage.
  • Perennials – Late winter or early spring pruning is best to remove dead or damaged growth while encouraging healthy, new growth. Perennials that are pruned closer to their bloom time will more likely have delayed blooms.
  • Flowering Trees/Shrubs – Prune immediately after they bloom. These plants set their buds for the next year soon after the current year’s flowers fade.
  • Fruit Trees – Prune in late winter or early spring while trees are still dormant to encourage growth and help shape the tree. Light summer pruning can be done to manage size and remove water sprouts – avoid heavy pruning during the summer months.
• Types of Pruning – there are different techniques when it comes to pruning – Thinning and Heading.
  • Thinning – Focus on the base of the plant/flower and/or where stems meet. Reduce the size of overgrown plants/flowers by cutting unwanted stems from the base of the plant. Prune the stems and foliage that is overgrown, discolored or dead. Thinning protects plants against disease and enhances the size and appearance of the plant/flower. Aim to prune/remove one-fourth of the stems; key in on overcrowded areas.
  • Heading – Cut off dead/discolored foliage and flowers to remove unsightly growth and promote new blooms and production of new flowers/leaves/stems. When the plant has several buds growing along the same stems, prune just below dead flowers – this will encourage new blooms further down the stems. Heading encourages more flowers to bloom for a longer period of time and will carry over to the next growing season.  In some cases, new flowers do not bloom and grow until dead flowers are removed.
• What To Prune – Excess stems, foliage and dead flowers/plants should be pruned. Pruning these encourages fuller, healthier plants. Avoid pruning more than 25% of a plant’s foliage at once to avoid placing stress on the plant. Consistent, light pruning is better than occasional heavy pruning. Trim just above a bud that is facing the direction you want the new growth to go. Make sure to prune 1/2 inch above nodes on in between two nodes. Consider wearing CharGuy Long Sleeve Gloves for full-arm protection.
• Bonus Tip – Propagation – Consider propagating the trimmed stems that you cut off to grow more plants. Placing cut stems directly into water before soil is often easier. Wait to transfer the cuttings from water to soil until the new roots are at least 2 inches long.