It’s time to prune your summer-blooming plants like crape
myrtles,
nandinas, shrub roses and glossy abelias.

"The keys to proper pruning are timing, technique and
the right equipment," said Bob
Westerfield, an extension horticulturist with the University
of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences.

Prune Summer-Bloomers Now

Prune summer-blooming plants and most woody ornamentals in
January through early March. But prune spring-flowering plants
like azaleas, forsythia and dogwood soon after they bloom.

"Of course, if you see dead plant material, you can prune
that off any time of year," Westerfield said.

Pruning is often necessary for your plants’ health. It’s a
way to remove disease and keep your plants looking good. It can
also rejuvenate older overgrown shrubs.

Proper
tools are a key to successful pruning.

Purchase a Good Pair of Hand-Operated
Shears

"Steer away from gas-powered pruners," Westerfield
said. "Hand-operated shears work wonderfully as long as you
keep your instruments sharp so they cut the plant instead of
tearing
it."

Hand pruners are perhaps your most essential pruning tool.
"Buy the best quality you can afford and you won’t have to
keep going back to the store for a new pair every year,"
he said. "The draw cut or scissor type is the most
useful."

The anvil-type, hard pruners aren’t as good. They tend to
crush
limbs rather than cut them.

Use lopping shears to prune small trees or shrubs like crape
myrtles with diameters up to 1.5 inches. For plants with branches
more than 2 inches thick, use a pruning saw.

Heading or Thinning

Now that you have the proper tools, you’re ready to start
pruning.
There are two methods: heading and thinning.

"Heading is when you shear across the plant
nonselectively,"
Westerfield said. "This method is normally used on boxwoods
to give them that formal look." Use heading sparingly, as
it causes excess canopy growth.

Thinning is a more useful and healthy cut. "Use thinning
to prune out sections of the plant to allow more light and air
inside," he said. "The increased air reduces diseases
and insects like spider mites."

How you prune determines the shape of your plant.

"If you leave buds on the outside it causes the plant
to grow outward and spread," he said. "If you leave
buds on the inside it causes the plant to fill out from
within."

Let Air and Light In

Westerfield reminds home landscapers to always prune leaving
the bottom of the plant larger than the top so that it forms a
pyramid shape. "If you don’t, you’ll cause a canopy affect,
and no light will get in," he said.

Make your cuts at a slant, too, and a fraction above the bud.
The slant will allow water to roll off the newly cut surface.

Don’t use pruning paints. "They’re unnecessary and may
slow the cuts’ healing," Westerfield said.

After you’ve finished pruning, don’t just throw your pruning
tools in the shed. Your tools are an investment, and you need
to take care of them.

Take Care of Your Tools

"Use an 8- to 10-inch file to sharpen your tools,"
Westerfield said. "Put your tool in the vice and sharpen
at the angle the manufacturer used for the blade. Always sharpen
in one direction, never back and forth."

Never use an electric grinder to sharpen pruning tools. The
heat build-up can weaken the blade.

Be sure to clean your pruner blades after pruning. "Give
them a light coat of household oil, too, to prevent rust,"
he said.

After all, it won’t be long until you have to pull out your
tools to prune your spring-flowering plants.