PROMOTING TENDER GROWTH
Pruning is not a one and done
By Charlie Neumeyer/Victoria County Master Gardener
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO This Texas Purple Sage has been pruned to maintain its natural shape. Taller stems have been individually cut to restore the natural form.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO This rose stem has been pruned right above a stem node to promote new growth and flowering. Note that the “twiggy” stems have also been pruned back.
I’m pretty sure that pruning will not be at the top of any gardener’s favorite thing to do. It is basically a year-long job and at times can be overwhelming. To make the job a little easier, or at least to spread it throughout the year, try making a monthly calendar.
According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, there are a couple of ways to divide and conquer your pruning. The plant’s growth habits will generally determine the pruning time. The main considerations are a plant’s dormancy period and the plant’s flowering season.
In Basic Pruning Principles, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension gives the following general guidelines: “Do not prune in late summer or fall as this promotes tender new growth that cannot survive the winter.” Their second general rule is that if a plant “flowers before June 1, prune it after flowering. If it blooms after June 1, prune in late winter or early spring.”
Why Prune?
The obvious answer is to control size. But there are other reasons that are just as important. Removing dead limbs, stimulating blooms, general shaping and promoting new growth are all valid reasons to prune. If you have formal hedges, pruning will be necessary to maintain the desired shape.
In January and February Trees and Shrubs That Go Dormant
Begin the new year with a new cycle of pruning. This is the time to work on deciduous plants and those plants that are summer bloomers. The primary focus in this area would be trees — Ash, Oak, Pecan, Sycamore and Crape Myrtles. If the tree is young, now is the time to work on the shape of the tree.
If the tree is mature, then pruning may be used to remove dead branches or to thin the canopy to increase sunlight. You may also want to raise the canopy to facilitate walking or mowing under the tree. It is easier to see the branching structure when leaves are not present and it will help prevent spreading diseases.
Summer Flowering Shrubs and Grasses
After you have worked on your trees, you can turn your attention to summer flowering shrubs. February 14 th is “the date” for pruning your roses that are repeat bloomers.
Other shrubs that should be whacked back at this time are Esperanza, Lantanas, Texas Sage (Cenizo) and all other sages and salvias. Remove the dead stems of Pride of Barbados, Canna Lilies, Gingers and other tropical plants that will re-emerge from the roots.
March
Take a vacation and work on your vegetable garden.
April, May and June, Spring Flowering Trees
If needed, winter/spring flowering trees can be pruned now since the blooming period should be over. These trees would include Anacacho Orchids, Deciduous Magnolias, Redbuds and Texas Mountain Laurels. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension recommends only light trimming on these specimens to maintain shape and remove dead limbs.
Winter/Spring Flowering Shrubs
This category includes roses (once bloomers and climbers), Wisteria, Gardenia, Azalea and Camellia. Since these plants bloom for the next year depends on new growth from this year, the purpose is to stimulate new branching and growth. Of course, you are also maintaining shape and size and removing dead/diseased branches.
July, August and September
Too hot to work in yard.
October and November
It is time to clean up your daylilies and irises. In early October, you can give your bush/repeat blooming roses a light trim. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension suggests that your remove “twiggy and unproductive growth and any crossing or dead wood.”
December
Time to rest up for next year’s work. And then it starts all over again!
REFERENCES:
Aggie-hort.tamu.edu “Follow Proper Pruning Techniques”
Aggie-hort.tamu.edu “Pruning With a Purpose“
Dallas County Master Gardeners Association “Pruning Like a Pro”
Better Homes and Gardens “Here’s When to Prune Trees, Shrubs, and Flowers for Healthier Plants”
The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or [email protected], or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.