Pruning 101: How to Prune Annuals and Perennials (2024)

FAQs

Pruning 101: How to Prune Annuals and Perennials? ›

Perennials and ornamental grasses can be cut back in the fall after a hard frost, or in the spring before new growth begins. They should be cut back to a couple inches above the ground level. A pruning handsaw works well when cutting back ornamental grasses.

Pruning Perennials – General Pruning

In early spring, old foliage should be removed from most plants. Many spring blooming perennials should be pruned just after the blossoms fade. Perennial plants which bloom during summer and fall should be pruned in spring to create bushier, more floriferous plants.

Don't cut branches flush against the trunk. Open up a plant with thinning cuts. Don't cut more than one-third of the plant's height in any one season. Cut at the proper time of year — usually late winter or early spring, though there are exceptions.

During the growing season: At any time during the warm season it is okay to cut back dead or ugly foliage. By mid-summer, if an annual plant growing in a bed or container has become leggy and unproductive, simply cut it back. The amount of foliage you remove will of course depend on the size of the plant.

Begin by removing the 5 D's: dead, dying, damaged, disfigured and diseased wood. You can do this at any time of year. Cut these twigs and branches back to healthy wood — or to the ground. After that, look for branches or twigs that cross and rub on one another.

Follow the 1/3 rule

This can mean removing one third of the total height, or one-third of the total number of branches, depending on the type of plant and how severely it needs to be cut back. It's best to err on the side of caution and cut too little than too much.

If we are too quick to cut back and tidy up beds and borders, we can also deplete the soil, since the materials we remove will not be able to break down and return their nutrients to the area of soil where they are grown. Perennials left in place slowly break down over the winter.

If you don't cut back your hostas they will die back naturally after a few frosts. Once they have died back completely they will be very easy to clear up with having to cut. This is our preferred way of tidying up hostas in the Autumn/Winter.

Method 1: Early cuts prevent late flopping

This means cutting a plant back by one-half to one-third its height in late spring to early summer. There is no need to be precise with these cuts, so I usually just grab a handful of stems like a ponytail and snip away.

Remove Dead, Dying, Broken, or Diseased Branches: Any branches or stems that are dead, dying, diseased, or broken should be pruned. This can be done at any time of year—and the sooner, the better.

How do you trim bushes for beginners? ›

Steps to Pruning Overgrown Shrubs

Each year, you remove 1/3 of the plant. After three to four years, you have a new, healthy shrub. Identify the oldest and least productive branches for removal. Cut 1/3 of the plant back to the ground or at the branch collar.

A proper pruning cut does not damage either the branch bark ridge or the branch collar. A proper cut begins just outside the branch bark ridge and angles down away from the stem of the tree, avoiding injury to the branch collar (Fig. 6B).

Some perennials, like hostas, peonies and daylilies, need to be pruned in fall to avoid winter damage. Plants like these should be pruned after the first few frosts in late fall or early winter. Other perennials like mums and coneflowers are better off being pruned in spring just before new growth comes in.

Use a handpruner or garden scissors for the job. Cut overgrown stems back, just above a set of healthy leaves or node, the place where leaves were once attached. You can cut back all the stems or stagger this over a few weeks, leaving some leaves in place to create energy for the plant.

General Pruning Guidelines

Prune most shrubs, fruit trees, and shade trees in the early spring while they are still dormant (before March). 2. Some trees will bleed sap if they are pruned in the spring. Prune trees that bleed either in the summer or in the late-fall.

ALWAYS prune back to or just above a growing point (branch or bud) or to the soil line. NEVER leave a stem or branch stub. NEVER top a tree to “rejuvenate” growth. Â This ruins the plant's natural shape and greatly increases its susceptibility to diseases, insect pests, and storm damage.

John 15:1-5

He told me that to produce an abundant crop of the best fruit, he had to prune the branches. It might look as if the tree was going to die, but new growth would spring from the wounds. Our conversation helped me understand why the Lord sometimes acts as a pruning knife in our lives.

Pruning Large Branches Incorrectly

Pruning large branches with diameters over 3 or 4 inches can create wounds too large for the tree to form calluses over or compartmentalize. Depending on the crown size and branch structure, it's better to remove a large-diameter branch by cutting it back to the branch collar.