Do Not Prune These Plants in the Spring
No matter how much cleaning and preparation you do in your garden before winter sets in, there is always a list of new maintenance tasks to complete each spring . And along with garden and flower bed cleaning and soil preparation, many people are tempted to trim their plants in the spring to prepare them for the season.
But some plants do not respond well to pruning at this time of year. Here are a few that choose to color them in later this season.
Why some plants shouldn’t be pruned in early spring
Ultimately, it all comes down to time. If you have a plant or shrub that is showing signs of life for the first time in months, it may not be worth pruning it in early spring, as this can damage the plant, making it take longer to grow.
In addition, you may accidentally cut off the buds before they open. Instead, wait until the end of the season, when the flowers are no longer in bloom, to prune the bush, according to Luan Akin of Tagawa Gardens in Colorado.
Plants and shrubs that should not be pruned in early spring
Here are some examples of plants that need to be pruned at the end of the season:
- Azaleas : Wait until late spring or summer to prune. Do this after the flowers have faded, but before new buds begin to form .
- Forsythia : Prune branches that are obviously dead or badly damaged, but in the spring, after the bush has faded, leave the healthy branches alone. Be sure to finish pruning before mid-July to give the plant enough time to develop flower buds for the next year.
- Lilac : Prune in late spring or early summer, just after it has faded. Don’t wait too long : next year’s buds form just after this year’s flowers have faded.
- Rhododendron : Hardened branches can be pruned all year round, but pruning should be done only after the bush has completely faded.
- Honeysuckle : While vines can be pruned at any time of the year, prune bushes in late spring as soon as the flowers have fallen .