So native shrubs grown for not just beauty but to produce fruit for birds, like Viburnum or chokeberries (Aronia), or even blueberries — you would not prune them after bloom, either? Cut out up to 25 percent of old stems plus weak young ones, then tip back the remaining ones to a pair of strong buds. Some species bloom on old wood, some on new — like summer-into-fall-blooming H. paniculata. of the member-only content library. Mr. Jabco’s team maintains not just the 300-plus-acre arboretum, with its more than 4,000 kinds of ornamental plants, but the entire Swarthmore campus. © 2020 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved. (This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.). See exactly how and when to prune the plants in your garden to keep them healthy and looking their best. Some are best pruned in winter; some right after flowering. Prune. This is done in very early spring, after threats of severe freezing are past, but before new growth starts, so the plant’s energy goes into development of shoots growing out of the remaining bare stems. You can call me a new gardener, but one that is cautios and will research rather than go crazy at the local nursery with buying plants and then not knowing what to do with the trees or where to plant and what the outcome might be in say ... five to seven years! These on a magnolia were snipped with a long-reach pruner. Whether the smaller ones that flower later or the tall, common lilacs, Syringa vulgaris, it’s still the same idea: You want to deadhead them just after bloom to prevent energy going into those seed capsules. The One Essential Thing to Know when Pruning Climbing Roses, Pruning Shrub Roses that Grow New Canes from the Base Every Year, Pruning Shrub Roses that Build a Structure over Time, Video Collection: Planting and Pruning Roses, Gardening Gift Ideas for the Holidays 2020, A Fool and His Garden | Letter from the Editor, Dahlias Don’t Ask Much | Letter from the Editor, It’s Just Business | Letter from the Editor, Natural Stone and Ground Covers Are a Great Combination. This year, when it has finished flowering, cut some of oldest stems to the ground. This type of pruning can gradually reduce size, but it doesn’t change a plant’s natural growth form. For instance, the twig dogwoods, like Cornus sericea, and twig willows. Old lilacs will benefit from a bit of low-nitrogen organic fertilizer each year, and in acidic soil, an application of lime or pulverized limestone every three to five years. Do the newer Endless Summer mopheads that bloom on old and new wood get special treatment. Some of the main reasons for pruning trees include health of the plant, aesthetics and stimulating fruit production. In the fall or early spring, use your shears to cut back all dead growth to the ground. Prune. Are you sure you want to delete your notes for this recipe? It has helped me greatly ... and I am taking the liberty on FB so that many more like me can take advantage of what you discussed. If the plant is weaker, or old, I wouldn’t cut out as many — perhaps one or two. This short refresher course could raise your confidence level. There will be a stem that didn’t flush, or a bud that didn’t break after all. You must be a magazine subscriber to access this feature. Regular pruning enhances the look and health of your garden. Fruit pruning doesn’t follow the rules for ornamentals. There are two basic groups of hydrangeas. What Time of Year Should I Prune My Roses? This wreath uses garden trimmings from a favorite shrub and…, "As a recently identified gardening nut I have tried all the magazines and this one is head and shoulders above the pack. Here’s a short refresher. I often hear from readers that their viburnum (or another shrub) got too big, so they took the hedge shears to it, to top it or reduce the width.