- Author: Tammy Majcherek
Here in Orange County, mother nature just can't make up her mind. Is it spring? Summer? Winter? Temperatures varying 20 to 30 degrees from day to day due to unusually hot temperature spikes, or unseasonably cool days, have confused the plants in our landscapes throwing flower and growth patterns completely out of whack. For many plants in the landscapes, now would be a good time to start removing spent blooms, or "dead-heading", to encourage additional blossoms and get those back on track.
Generally, it is best to perform heavier pruning on landscape plants while they are dormant in the winter. This avoids shocking the plant. But if a plant just needs a quick clean-up to maintain a pleasing shape or to promote flowering, the rules change.
Below you will find some helpful tips on when to prune common landscape trees and shrubs.
Avoid heavy pruning in the spring. If a little light pruning is necessary for shaping at this time, go ahead and prune, but this isn’t the time for drastic pruning.
Dead or unproductive limbs and branches may be pruned off at any time. If you’re unsure whether or not a branch is truly dead, scratch the bark with a fingernail. A living branch will appear green beneath the bark.
If a plant flowers in the spring, it can be pruned immediately after it has finished blooming for the season. Plants that bloom in the early spring set their flower buds in the fall, winter or early spring pruning of these plants would reduce the amount of spring blooms for them.
Shrubs that bloom on new growth in the summer or fall should be pruned in the winter. This will encourage the plant to put out new growth the following spring, and more new growth means more flowers to enjoy.
To avoid spreading any disease amongst plants, always disinfect your pruning shears before moving from one plant to another. A quick dip in denatured alcohol or a 10:1 chlorine bleach solution, work well as a disinfectants.
The following is a list showing some common landscape plants that may be pruned this time of year.
Flowering Almond - Prune in summer, after blooming.
Azalea - Clip off spent flower clusters and prune immediately after blooming.
Barberry - Prune after flowering.
Boxwood - Prune late fall through early summer.
Butterfly Bush - Remove spent flower spikes to encourage more blooms. Prune in late winter through early spring while dormant.
Camellia - Prune after flowering, and in early summer to encourage branching. Pruning too late in the summer and fall will remove next year’s flower buds.
Ceanothus - Prune in late spring to early summer, after blooming.
Clematis - Timing depends on variety. Spring-bloomers are pruned in late spring, after blooming. Summer and fall bloomers need little pruning, but can be pruned to shape while dormant in winter.
Cleveland Sage - Remove spent flower spikes to encourage re-bloom, and prune to shape after the final bloom.
Diosma - Shear lightly all over after bloom to keep the plant compact. Don’t cut back hard.
Euonymus - Prune evergreen varieties late fall through early summer.
Heliotrope - remove faded flowers, pinch tips to make bushy.
Hydrangea - Prune spring-blooming varieties after blooms fade, summer-blooming varieties late fall through winter while dormant.
Magnolia - Prune in late spring to early summer, after blooming.
Mock orange - Prune in midsummer, after blooming.
Ornamental Flowering Plum - Prune dead or unproductive branches in early to late spring after blooming.
Pussywillow - Prune mid spring to early summer, after blooming.
Pyracantha - Blooms on old wood, prune in early summer.
Roses - Timing varies by variety. Roses that bloom on last year’s canes are pruned after flowering. Roses that bloom on new growth are pruned in spring when leaf buds begin to swell.
Salvia ‘Indigo Spires” - Pinch back to keep compact otherwise it will get "leggy".
Spirea - Prune spring-blooming varieties (Bridal Wreath) in early summer, after blooming. Prune summer-blooming varieties in midwinter, while dormant.
Statice (Sea lavender, Linaria perezii) - Cut off dead blooms when they become unsightly.
Westringia rosmarinifolia - Prune in late spring or early summer (like now) by shearing all over once a year after bloom. (Blooms are insignificant.) If growing too large, shear more frequently to keep it compact.
Wisteria - Remove spent flowers after blooming. Prune new growth in late summer to shape plant.
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