It has been a long, hard, and cold winter for Carroll County. With the snowy and icy weather we have experienced this week, the beginning of March has certainly lived up to the age-old saying, "in like a lion." Let us all hope it will go "out like a lamb."
Believe it or not, spring really is on the way, causing homeowners to begin turning their attention to the landscape.
To ensure healthy spring plants, consider pruning trees and shrubs around the home that have been affected by the weather. However, do not prune just for the sake of pruning--be sure to have a valid reason.
Pruning during the late winter months allows us to remove damage caused by winter winds and precipitation, as well as diseased, crowded or hazardous branches.
When pruning trees, the size of the tree should not be reduced too much in one season. Limit the pruning amount to one-fourth of the tree's volume. Start by thinning out branches by cutting them off close to the tree's trunk or a large limb.
Leave the base of the branch, known as the collar, intact. Cutting the collar will prevent the plant from growing over the wound caused from pruning. Pruning in this manner allows for a healthy tree that is more open to sunlight and air movement. If the branch is cut back only part way, there will likely be a crowded regrowth of new branches where the cut was made. Do not seal or paint the wounds resulting from pruning because this will only delay the tree's healing process.
Spring-flowering shrubs may need rejuvenation pruning, and the best time for that is right after they flower. If you prune a shrub before it blooms, you remove buds too soon and do not get an opportunity to enjoy those blooms. When you prune after blooming, you can still enjoy the flowers and the plant can recover, grow, and produce more buds for flowers next spring.
For rejuvenation pruning, remove one-third of the shrub's oldest growth. Select the thickest, darkest and unhealthiest stems or branches to cut back. Cut back stems to soil level and branches to the point of intersection with the shrub's main trunk. This ensures that only the youngest, most productive wood (the which produces the most and best flowers) remains a part of the shrub. During early spring, prune shrubs that will bloom during the summer months.
Pruning is not limited to a certain time of the year. You can prune at any time if you notice damaged branches and limbs. The process is invigorating for the plants in a home landscape so do not necessarily think of pruning just as a means of size control.
If you have a plant that has grown out-of-bounds, pruning may not be the answer. Consider replacing the plant with one that will reach a smaller size at maturity.
Trees and shrubs to prune in late winter/early spring while still dormant are:
- Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana)
- Butterfly Bush (Buddleia Davidii)
- Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)
- Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)
- Flowering plum (Prunus blireana)
- Glossy abelia (Abelia x grandiflora)
- Golden rain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata)
- Hydrangea, Peegee (Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora')
- Potentilla (Potentilla fruticosa)
- Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
- Spirea (except bridal wreath) (Spirea japonica)
- Wisteria (Wistera species)
- Azalea (Rhododendron species)
- Beauty bush (Kolkwitzia amabilis)
- Bridal wreath spirea (Spirea x vanhouttei)
- Flowering crabapple (Malus species and cultivars)
- Forsythia (forsythia x intermedia)
- Hawthorn (Crataegus species and cultivars)
- Hydrangea, Bigleaf (Hydrangea macrophylla)
- Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
- Magnolia (Magnolia species and cultivars)
- Mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius)
- Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
- Serviceberry (Amelanchier x grandiflora)
- Slender deutzia (deutzia gracilis)
- Weigela (Weigela florida)
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