Spring is the time of the year when you should do about 95% of the landscape pruning maintenance. It isn’t the most glamorous job of gardening but when done correctly it leads to a more beautiful yard.
The reason you prune in spring is because it the best time for the plants. Pruning sends out a signal to the plant that it is time to put out new growth to replace what has been cut. If the plant buds out early, it is easy to see where cuts will be made. Ideally, you should wait until that happens. The benefit of waiting is the time saved in pruning a dead shrub or digging up a bush because you think it’s dead. Some plants are really, really late to leaf out. The “plant is dead” date should be around June 1st!
PRUNE after you decide what your objective is for the shrub. It helps to prune bushes in this order: 1. Dead Wood – Prune dead branches anytime during the year. Dead wood can be indentified by the brown ring underneath the bark.
2. Suckers – Some plants tend to produce suckers. If you don’t want the number that come up, trim it to below the ground. It won’t kill it, but slows it’s growth.
3. External Hazard Branches - These are branches that get in people’s way. Any direction a branch grows that gets into people’s way or into a structure. Cut it back to a node, joint, or stem.
4. C r o s s i n g Branches – If a branch crosses and rubs another branch, cut one of them back. In addition to a more pleasing appearance, the injury from rubbing creates an opening for bugs and diseases.
5. For Shape or Form – Try to limit this type of pruning. Do this last so you won’t trim too much. Do not prune more than 1/3 of the plant in any year.
Successful pruning involves mastering two basic cuts. Cuts heal quickly when made in the right spot and at the correct angle with a sharp, clean tool. Find a branch with a bud facing the direction you want new growth to follow. Prune just above that but at a 45º angle, with the lowest point of the cut farthest from the bud. An angle greater than 45º can make the cut hard to heal. Don’t leave more than ¼ inch of growth above the bud but cutting too low can cause the bud to dry out. Check the picture for examples.
There are 3 different ways to prune. Which you use varies by the type of plant.
1. Renewal – Works well with Butterfly Bush and other shrubs that send out lots of stems each spring. The oldest and fattest stems at the base of the plant are removed. Remove only 1/3 of the stems.
2. Heading – These cuts spur growth in the right direction and is especially useful in shrubs damaged or blown sideways from wind. Though it seems counterintuitive, you need to prune the shorter side of a lopsided shrub to stimulate growth. Long branches are trimmed back to the base of the plant as in #1. Renewal.
3. Pinching – Using your index finger and thumb, pinch off the end buds of new branches on evergreen bushes to encourage side branching on the lower part of the shrub. This encourages side branching on the lower part of the shrub and more greenery.
Shrubs never trimmed need to be treated by trimming back 1/3 of branches each year for 3 years. This allows them to get adjusted to the changes over time and adjust their growth and nutrient requirements in stages.
Some shrubs need little or no pruning such as mahonias, artemisia, or Apache Plume. If you don’t like to prune, check into these or other shrubs for your yard.
Edith Iwan is a Cibola- McKinley County Master Gardener who lives and works in Thoreau. As a Master Gardener she assists the County Cooperative Extension Service in providing accurate, research-based gardening information to county residents. If you have any gardening questions, please call the NMSU Cibola County Extension at 505-287-9266 or NMSU McKinley County Extension at 505-863-3432