Plant pruning promotes growth for many plants, but you want to make sure you’re doing it at the right time of year. Every garden needs a little spring cleaning now and then. The same is true about your plants: sometimes, they need a little trimming to stay healthy. Here are 12 popular plants that should be pruned in early spring—and how to do it!
Shrubs
Shrubs should be pruned in spring or summer when they are actively growing. Pruning shrubs in autumn can damage dormant buds and leave the plant more susceptible to pests and disease. Some shrubs that require pruning in autumn include boxwood and yew.
Trees
- Prune trees in autumn.
- To prune a tree, you’ll want to cut it back to a point where new growth can be seen. Try not to go past this point, because the tree may be trying to send new shoots out and you’ll get more branches than you bargained for if you do so! If a branch is dead or diseased, cut it off at its base with your pruning shears—but remember that if there’s more than one bad branch, don’t try cutting them all off at once; just take care of one at a time so as not to overwhelm yourself (and your arms).
- Trees can also be pruned in the wintertime by taking down any dead wood from last year’s growth (which should be obvious) and making sure that each branch has plenty of room around it. Some people choose not to do this until springtime because winter winds might blow away some loose leaves as well as cause problems with ice buildup on branches during snowstorms later on in winter.”
Vines
Vines are plants that grow on a stem that twines around support, such as a pole, trellis, or other structure. The support is often referred to as the vine’s “vineyard.” Vines can be grown for their flowers and fruit and also serve as an ornamental feature in your home landscape.
Vine types include:
- Grapes
- Hops
- Passionflower vines (Passiflora)
- Wisteria
Perennials
One of the best things about perennials is that they come back year after year, but in order for them to do so, you need to prune them. This can be done in late winter or early spring when new growth is starting to emerge from the ground.
The following are some reasons why you should prune your perennials:
- To shape the plant and remove dead or damaged stems. You may also want to remove old flowers from certain plants if they’re producing blooms that aren’t as attractive as those on other plants in your garden. For example, if an iris has been blooming for a few weeks and its flower petals start turning brown and falling off, you might want to cut off the stem right above where all those petals are falling away—this will encourage a new set of buds near the top instead of at their base where there isn’t much room left in which they can grow! (It’ll also prevent any rotting leaves along with their stalks.)
- Cutting back perennials also helps keep them healthy by reducing competition between stems/branches/buds etc., as well as distributing nutrients throughout each plant via photosynthesis even more effectively than would happen naturally without intervention.”
Ornamental grasses
Ornamental grasses are a great addition to the garden, but they can become overgrown and unruly if you don’t keep them in check. To prune ornamental grasses at this time of year, simply cut back any branches that have flowered and look messy or have gone past their prime. You can also prune ornamental grasses after they have flowered in order to keep them in shape and prevent them from getting too tall or becoming leggy. You should only cut off about 1/3 of the plant when you prune it; this will ensure that there are plenty of new growth buds on which flowers will form next year!
Succulents
Succulents are a great choice for indoor gardens, as they aren’t picky about soil and can withstand low humidity. They come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, from small cacti to tall trees.
- Do you want to make your succulent even more beautiful? You can propagate it by taking cuttings. Just remove the leaves from the bottom of your plant, then place them into wet soil or water until they root!
- Succulents are drought-tolerant plants that do well with very little water (or no water at all). They can be grown indoors year-round and require little attention once established in your home garden.
Pruning your garden is important for the health of your plants, and there are some plants that need to be pruned at specific times of the year.
The spring and summer months are prime time for pruning plants. This is when they’re likely to be in bloom or just beginning to bud, giving you easy access to their stems and branches. But how often should you prune your garden? If a plant has reached its mature size, it won’t benefit from further pruning. However, many gardeners make fall and winter cuts to reduce the risk of disease or pests—or simply because it’s what they’re accustomed to doing at this time of year.
Pruning also helps shape plants and keeps them healthy by removing dead or diseased limbs as well as thinning out dense growth on trees and shrubs so that their roots can receive ample sunlight and water from rainwater runoff during storms. It’s important for ornamental grasses (like those found in lawns) because mowing blades can damage their roots if left uncut too long; conversely, if they aren’t cut back enough they’ll spread out into other areas where they may not belong (and will probably end up being mowed over). For succulents like cacti that store water internally so they don’t need frequent watering habits like those found elsewhere on earth – regular trimming helps ensure that each one receives its fair share before anyone else gets thirsty!
Conclusion
Some plants need more pruning than others, and some are better left alone. If you’re not sure whether to prune a plant or which method of pruning it requires, ask an expert at your local nursery or garden center. For many plants, a little bit of pruning each year is all they need to thrive in your landscape.
