By Faith Peppers
University of
Georgia
Winter doesn’t offer a total break from garden chores. Now is a
prime time to prune plants, but only if you need to, University
of Georgia experts say.
“Not everything needs to be pruned,” said Bob Westerfield, a
UGA Cooperative Extension horticulturist.
When to prune
“Wait to prune early spring bloomers like forsythia, dogwood or
azaleas after their blooms fade,” he said. “Pruning now will
cut off the buds that have formed on the tips of the branches
and you’ll lose your spring blooms.”
Later-blooming plants can be pruned now through the end of
February. These include summer-blooming crape myrtles,
butterfly bushes, gardenias and plants that aren’t known for
their flowering, such as hollies and other evergreens.
Why and how to prune
There are three main reasons to prune. “One is to reclaim a
space that’s overgrown,” Westerfield said. “Another is to
remove dead wood, and a third is to invigorate growth and
reshape a plant.”
Knowing how to prune is just as important as knowing what to
prune. “Avoid shearing or hedging plants,” he said. “That will
cause a heavy canopy to develop on the top of the plant and
restrict new growth from inside the plant.”
The best method is to carefully select whole branches to remove
that will reshape the plant to the form you want. “Always make
your cut just outside the branch collar of … a main branch or
just behind a bud,” Westerfield said.
One way to reclaim severely overgrown plants is called
rejuvenation or renewal pruning. This requires cutting the main
stems back to about 8 inches above the ground.
“The best time to do this is when plants are dormant between
now and the end of February,” Westerfield said. “This works for
many varieties of plants.”
However, don’t do this to conifers or boxwoods, he said, or to
plants you want to bloom this season.
Improper pruning can lead to problems. “Making pruning cuts
incorrectly often leaves stubs that tend to become wet and
decay, attracting harmful pests,” Westerfield said. “Be sure to
use quality, razor-sharp hand pruners to make clean cuts and
prevent fraying branches.”
Get quality tools
Don’t cut corners when buying pruning equipment. “Buy quality
equipment, with replaceable parts,” Westerfield said. “Be sure
to maintain it by keeping it sharp, clean and oiled.”
For more information on what plants to prune and how to do it,
get the free UGA Extension publication, “Basic Principles of
Pruning Woody Ornamentals.”
Get the publication online at
ht
tp://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubs/pdf/B949.pdf
or from your county UGA Extension office. You can find the
office nearest you at
www.ugaextension.com
.
Or just call 1-800-ASK-UGA1.
