Quite often, novice owners suburban areas forget about pruning bushes, concentrating their attention on watering and fertilizing mineral fertilizers and soil composition. However, when the bushes grow and become more voluminous, pruning ornamental shrubs simply necessary.
Depending on the desired result, types of pruning shrubs are divided into:
- sanitary pruning;
- formative pruning;
- anti-aging pruning.
Sanitary pruning
In autumn, this type of pruning is carried out for absolutely all bush plants. The main goal is to prevent the development of infectious processes, as well as the formation of rot, and is characterized by the removal of all broken and damaged branches. Also, to fully ventilate the crown of the bush, you should clean the branches growing inside the plant itself. Unripe branches should be pruned with a remainder of 2-3 cm above the bud.
Formative pruning
Autumn formative pruning is used only for shrubs that bloom in summer. In case of autumn pruning beautiful flowering shrubs V spring period, there is a high probability of deterioration decorative look, since these bushes bloom on last year’s branches.
Dendrologists include such shrubs as:
- forsythia;
- Japanese quince;
- all types
- full range of weigela;
- lilac;
- all species that bloom with white buds;
- almond varieties such as steppe and three-lobed;
- action.
The bushes described above can be pruned exclusively for sanitary and rejuvenating purposes in the fall.
With the help of formative pruning, the shrub turns from ordinary to decorative. To do this, every year you should add a couple more of the strongest shoots to the existing key branches. Special attention should be given to plants with a large amount of root shoots. For example, alder serviceberry, white snowberry, fieldfare. When forming such shrubs, it is necessary to control the growth in width and cut off most of the root growth around the perimeter. It is also very important not to allow the crown to develop too thick while the plant is young and actively developing.
But you should not overdo it with the abundant removal of shoots, otherwise this can lead to a very loose constitution of the bush. Initially, you should get rid of weak branches that are directed from the roots. It is also allowed to trim strong branches if they are directed into the inside of the bush or are located close to other good shoots. It is recommended to leave only branches that will eventually be able to replace an old or diseased branch.
Some poorly winter-hardy shrubs may develop dry branches that should be pruned. The most effective and reliable cut will be above the second bud. You should also periodically get rid of lodging branches that distort the overall perception of the ornamental bush.
In a situation where the upper branches are frozen, but the lying ones are not affected, you can leave them and tie them with garden twine or make a special frame. After some time, when the bush begins to grow in the designated position, the support can be removed. This method will help the shrub regain its lost decorative appearance.
Shaping pruning of ornamental shrubs
Anti-aging pruning
In order to get more abundant flowering and the ripening of a large number of fruits on already mature plants, the method of rejuvenating pruning is used. This method is also recommended for use on plants whose annual growth is less than 7 cm. this method pruning by activating the growth of dormant or adventitious buds, after the procedure of shortening old branches. Most optimal time The implementation of anti-aging pruning is considered to be the period from February to April, as well as from August to September.
Branches should be cut back to about 30% of the length from the top, immediately after the plant has stopped blooming. Branches on which good lateral growth is observed will become even more luxuriant, and the number of fruits and flowering will increase if one of the three oldest in the bush is removed. This procedure is recommended to be performed every two years, which will prevent the plant from becoming too thick and provide the necessary aeration.
Features of anti-aging pruning
Anti-aging pruning can also control the size of the inflorescences. So, in the case of a strong reduction in the length of the branches, the flowers will be larger than with a slight shortening. However, the concentration of flowering on a heavily pruned branch will also decrease. A number of ornamental shrubs, for example, crown mock orange or deutzia, with regular pruning may lose the splendor of their crown; accordingly, selective shoots need to be reduced.
The pruning procedure should be carried out on no more than four buds at a time, which will later form strong branches and can replace less popular shoots next year. The bush undergoes complete shortening of branches only when the flowers become significantly smaller, in most cases this is observed 3-4 years after planting.
Also, amateur gardeners need to know about distinctive features bushes blooming on the branches of last year, for example, hawthorn, large-leaved hydrangea, forsythia, and on the shoots of this year: paniculata hydrangea, Japanese spirea. In addition, there are a number of ornamental shrubs, the flowering of which in the spring is carried out on the branches of the previous year, and in the summer - already on the branches current year. Similar plants include weigala and kerria.
When to do anti-aging pruning
It is best to carry out anti-aging pruning for a larger number of ornamental and fruit bushes in early spring. A signal about the need for this procedure is the appearance of weak shoots and smaller branches. It should be shortened over branches located as close as possible to the base of the branch or in a place that is characterized by more powerful growth of the rejuvenated shoot.
Radical rejuvenation
In cases where the bush has lost the ability to form not only strong branches, but also weaker and shorter ones, it is necessary to resort to a radical rejuvenation procedure. All branches must be cut at ground level, and in a situation where the plant was formed on a rootstock, cut at a height of 10-15 cm from the location of the graft. Only in this case will the buds become active and give a new rapid growth, since the volume of the root remains at the same level. Then, after a season or two, depending on the level of growth of the bush, it is necessary to remove weak and poorly placed branches.
Video “Features of pruning ornamental shrubs”
Proper pruning of ornamental shrubs
How to prune a bush correctly and not harm it is one of the most common questions that arises among novice gardeners. Procedure competent pruning It is not very difficult if you follow the basic recommendations.
Pruning ornamental shrubs tools
When pruning, you must follow certain rules:
- all dried and broken shoots should be removed immediately;
- stumps and cuttings should not be split;
- the correct cut, which does not leave a stump, should be made at an angle and not straight;
- the pruning tools used must be well sharpened and always clean;
- you should try to cause minimal damage to the treated shrub: branches whose thickness is less than or equal to 2 cm are cut with pruners, and in the case of thicker branches - with a hacksaw;
- in the process of work it is necessary to act pointwise, try not to catch nearby shoots;
- To stimulate the growth of weak branches, shoots should be cut shorter, but for healthy and well-growing branches, shortening too much is not required;
- The correct cut is characterized by a smooth surface and without various scraps of bark. In case of an uneven cut, you can use a garden knife, which will help achieve the required smoothness;
- Do not forget that it is better to pinch the shoot at the right time than to cut it off later.
Also, do not forget about care after pruning: all cuts are treated with garden varnish, and if the surface thickness is over 3 cm, using oil paint will be much more effective.
How to make the right cut when pruning
Deren - very fast growing shrub, capable of constant watering and proper feeding give an increase of up to 1.5 meters.
Often, this plant is pruned in order to form the desired crown shape. IN autumn period All old branches are removed, and in the spring strong vertical shoots will modify the bush. If the goal is to form a round and “shaggy” shrub, in the fall you should shorten the annual growth by several buds. In the spring, this pruning will strengthen the lateral branch.
Shrub cinquefoil initially has a uniform crown shape; accordingly, it undergoes a pruning procedure only when the plant is deformed.
With full growth, in the autumn, old and damaged branches are removed, and unrooted ones are slightly pruned.
Formative pruning should be carried out if you want to obtain more intense flowering. Anti-aging pruning is carried out, in most cases, after the hydrangea reaches 5 years of age.
Old branches are removed almost completely at ground level; it is enough to leave no more than 4-5 shoots. In the spring, young flowering shoots form from the buds located on the root collar, and the remaining old branches will bloom with renewed vigor.
If you remove already faded buds at a height of 30-40 cm from ground level, in the spring you can achieve an increase in young shoots on last year’s strong branches, which will prevent long and flexible branches from bending under the weight of flower caps.
To obtain more blooming lush summer varieties spirea, the pruning procedure should be carried out in the fall.
The length of the cut depends on the age of the plant:
- for shrubs whose age is more than 10 years, pruning is carried out at ground level. Next spring, new strong branches will appear from the root system, which will also bloom in due time;
- It is recommended to thin out younger shrubs a little: old shoots are shortened by 25-30 cm. This pruning will increase the number of lateral buds in the spring, which will change the appearance of the bush for the better.
After pruning, the plant should be mulched with humus solution or peat, and the roots should be covered from hypothermia.
Video “Pruning ornamental shrubs - spirea”
Organic feeding after pruning
All plants should be fed after pruning. It doesn’t matter whether the procedure for reducing branches was performed in the spring or in the fall, only the fertilizers themselves are different.
Spring feeding plays a big role in the development of the plant, because it is in this period Over time, the shrub increases its vegetative mass and restores everything that was lost during the winter. In addition, over time, the concentration of nutrients in the soil gradually decreases.
First of all, it is necessary to supply the soil with nitrogen and potassium microelements. A solution of potassium nitrate and clean water, mixed in the following proportion: 3 tablespoons of fertilizer per 10 liters of water. Solutions of azofosk and nitrophosk and a mixture of 30 g of urea and 100 g of wood ash, diluted with a bucket of water.
If the bush is pruned from August to September, the plant experiences an acute lack of phosphate fertilizers, after all root system at this time it is quite actively being formed. To more uniformly achieve fertilizer for the roots of the shrub, fertilizing should be evenly distributed around the perimeter of the tree trunk circle, and the procedure for introducing useful microelements should be combined with watering.
For effective and full growth, it is recommended to fertilize ornamental and fruit shrubs with infusion. The finished composition will be formed after 2-3 days, and the best proportion is 0.5 kg of compost per 10 liters of water.
The bush should be watered in the evening, when the heat has already subsided or in cloudy weather. The solution should not be allowed to come into contact with young branches and leaves, and in case of prolonged drought, trunk circle the bush should be soaked generously plain water before using the compost mixture.
As a conclusion, it should be noted that pruning ornamental shrubs is not a complicated procedure and plays a significant role in the formation of healthy and beautiful plants, which will definitely reward their owner with lush and beautiful flowering.
» Shrubs
Autumn pruning fruit trees and bushes must be carried out annually. If this is not done, it will lead to thickening of the crown. Pests and diseases accumulate in the thickened crown, which causes a decrease or even loss of the entire yield.
If the tree has not been pruned for several years, it may need to be removed. large quantity branches. But it is not advisable to do this at once. It is better to prune such trees over several years.
When pruning fruit trees, it is very easy to harm the plant, especially when pruning young trees. That's why When starting pruning, you need to clearly understand which branch and why it needs to be removed.
The consequences of improper pruning of young trees are very difficult to correct, sometimes it even becomes impossible.
When pruning fruit trees, you must adhere to the following basic rules:
- In one cut you cannot remove a large number of large branches at once. This can significantly weaken the tree and even cause disease or death in the future.
- Branches with signs of disease, broken or dry ones are always removed first.
- After removing large branches tree wounds must be covered with garden varnish.
- Always try to use sharp and quality tool , with a blunt instrument, you can cause lacerations, which will take a long time to heal.
- Try use only clean tools, firstly, it is easier for them to work, and secondly, a dirty tool can harm the plant.
- When trimming tall treestry to use ladders and stepladders. Or special tool, designed for cutting branches at height. Climbing tree branches is not recommended; this action can cause serious harm to the tree.
Methods for pruning shrubs and trees
There are two main ways to trim shrubs and fruit trees:
- Shortening;
- Thinning.
Both pruning methods are carried out with the aim of redistributing nutrients along the branches of the tree.
There are two methods of pruning - shortening and thinning Pruning stimulates and intensively grows shoots and has a beneficial effect on the correct formation of the plant. Pruning leads to a reduction in the number of buds that consume food, the path from the root system to the leaves of the plant is shortened, which stimulates increased growth.
Shortening - This is the partial removal of the upper part of the shoot. Shortening stimulates the growth of young shoots and the development of buds located below the cut, and also helps to increase the thickness of the branches.
Thinning - This is a complete removal of branches. This pruning prevents the crown from thickening, prevents the development of diseases and pests, and therefore increases productivity.
Pruning ornamental and berry bushes
The very first pruning of shrubs is carried out during planting. In young 2-3 year old seedlings, shoots are shortened to 10 - 15 cm, no more than 3-5 buds are left on one shoot.
At proper care, in the first year young shoots will grow from these buds.
Pruning shrubs in the fall, all diseased, broken or dry ones, as well as shoots that are close to the ground must be removed. If in the first year of development berry bush developed poorly and gave weak growth, then all shoots must be cut almost to ground level, leaving only 3-5 cm above the surface.
In the second year of life, the shrub should form several more new powerful shoots. In the second year of life, the bush should grow several more young powerful branches. In the fall, it is also carried out sanitization shrubs with the removal of diseased, broken or dry branches.
When removing shoots, pruning is done as close to the base as possible.
In the spring, you need to once again pay attention to the condition of the bush and, if necessary, carry out another sanitary cutting.
Please note that spring pruning of shrubs is done before sap flows and buds begin to swell.
In the fall, carry out sanitary pruning of the bush again, and also cut off excess branches. On average, an adult and well-developed bush should have from 10 to 15 branches of different ages.
When pruning shrubs in the future, it is necessary to remember that branches grow most intensively in the first year of life, and then the growth rate decreases greatly. And by the age of five or six, the growth of branches practically stops.
In shrubs with abundant branching shoots are trimmed a little. In bushes with medium branching branches are cut at 25% of the length, and with weaker branches, about half of the shoot is cut off.
The formation of the shrub must be completed 4–5 years after planting.
A healthy bush, as a rule, should have the following ratio of shoots:
- 4 - 5 annual branches
- 3 - 4 two-year-old branches
- 2 - 3 three-year branches
- 2 - 3 four- and five-year-old branches.
Shoots of shrubs are removed depending on their physiological state, direction and strength of growth. And this ratio may change.
Never forget about updating and rejuvenating the bush - your future harvest will depend on this work.
How to trim a hedge yourself?
What it will look like hedge further, depends on correct formation in the first year, after her disembarkation. Therefore, the correct formation of a hedge should begin soon after planting.
Many amateur gardeners do not cut out young shrubs for the first few years, but this is wrong. To prevent the plant from growing upward, in the first year of life it is necessary to carry out correct pruning . This will stimulate a good education new root growths. If you don't do this Bottom part the hedge may be bare, and the top will be thickened.
Many plants that are used for hedges, such as hawthorn, snowberry, privet, comb and mirabelle, are erect. Therefore they especially require good pruning shortly after landing.
Soon after planting, prune all plants., leaving shoots no more than 15 cm above the ground. This will stimulate the growth of powerful young root shoots.
On next year, it is necessary to carry out another severe pruning of the plant. This will ensure the correct formation of a dense crown. If the density of the bushes seems insufficient to you, you can do heavy pruning again next year.
Third and further years, when the formation of strong root growth is completed, only cosmetic decorative pruning plants. The interval between pruning depends on the type of plant and slightly on weather conditions.
How to prune a fruit tree yourself?
Self-pruning of trees must begin with the removal of dry, diseased, and old branches. It is these branches that reduce the yield of garden trees.
In order not to accidentally cause unnecessary injury to the fruit tree, you must immediately inspect the branches and decide on the number of branches that need to be removed. It is better to cut off one large branch than to cut off several small ones.. When pruning branches, it is not recommended to leave stumps on the trunk, but to remove the entire branch down to the base near the trunk.
When planning to prune a fruit tree in the fall, you should first prepare the tool. Make sure your hacksaw, secateurs or scissors are sharp. The level of injury caused to the plant depends on their severity. The better it will be sharpened garden tools, the less damage will be caused to the tree trunk. A sharp tool will do its job much better.
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Even old trees, with proper care, can produce tasty and high-quality fruits. To do this you should remove unnecessary branches and form the tree crown into a bush. In this case, it is necessary to leave only the strongest and youngest branches.
Proper pruning of fruit trees and shrubs is the key good harvest . You just have to master all the intricacies of gardening once and then apply and improve your skills in practice.
In order to autumn pruning cutting of ornamental shrubs was carried out efficiently and quickly; separate tools are required. These include:
- A lopper is a special pruner with a long handle. It is necessary to remove fairly long branches growing in hard-to-reach areas of the crown. There are quite a few various types materials and tools, and therefore you can choose absolutely any one that suits you best in terms of convenience and cost.
- Secateurs – main tool gardener It is best to choose models with long blades. They allow you to diverge so widely in the open position that branches with a diameter of up to 2 cm can easily fit between the blades. Functions such as a gear amplifier and a rotating handle will easily facilitate the work.
- Hacksaws and saws are used to remove large branches and trunks. It is important to note that high-quality work will be ensured only with a sharply sharpened tool.
- Putties – special means necessary to protect the environment from infections and drying out. IN modern stores you can find a lot various types putties that differ in both prices and effects.
Pruning ornamental shrubs in the fall - why and how?
Trimming ornamental trees and shrubs is necessary for many reasons. If we are talking about trees, then their crowns must be given the required shape and preserved long term. “Hedges” are trimmed to give the foliage fullness. Talking about fruit bushes, we mean increasing the yield through pruning. Shrubs on your summer cottage require a haircut for more lush flowering. The cut on the branches is made strictly at an angle– this will prevent water from stagnating, which causes wood to rot.
The distance between the buds on the branches and the cut is also of great importance. Cutting too close may cause the buds to freeze or dry out. And, conversely, if you leave too long distance, a “stump” will be formed where diseases and viruses quickly penetrate.
Many people are also concerned about the question: what ornamental shrubs are pruned in the fall? In fact, it doesn’t really matter what types of plants you are going to trim, the main thing is to do it regularly, using the right tools.
Rules for pruning bushes
There are several types of plants that do not need adjustment. For example, these include maple or magnolia - with growth they only become more picturesque. However, other types of shrubs need this procedure “like air”, and for them appearance, and for health. Old branches look sloppy, which also interfere with the growth of new shoots and can lead to the loss of the plant.
For a novice gardener, this problem is one of the most painful. How to cut? When to cut? How much to cut? There are so many plants, they are all so different... At some point it may seem that you will never master this wisdom.
In fact, everything is not as difficult as it seems. After gardening for several years, you will intuitively begin to understand how pruning a particular plant depends on the time of its flowering, growth characteristics and branching.
Of course, experimenting for years is not at all necessary. You can open a book and find out everything at once. But here’s the problem: we have a problem with good literature on this topic. One book will intelligently explain to you how to prune summer-blooming and spring-blooming spireas. From the other you will understand how to cut wood. But building a coherent and logical system based on this fragmentary information is very difficult.
At one time I bought all the books in Russian and English languages, on the covers of which it was written: “Cutting...” And finally, I found what I was looking for. It was English edition: `Successful Pruning`. I flipped through it, and somehow everything immediately fit into my head.
Today we offer you an adapted translation of this publication. Not the whole book, of course. But what seems to us the most important. We offer you a harmonious and understandable, as it seems to us, system for pruning ornamental shrubs.
Actually, the whole system comes down to nine pruning techniques, which will be outlined below.
TECHNIQUE 1. CUT TO MAINTAIN SHAPE
This technique is used for shrubs that are grown in molded hedges and require constant pruning.
So: if you form a hedge in the spring, you remove only the growth of the previous year. If you prefer a haircut in the second half of summer, you will remove the current year’s growth accordingly. You may have to do both spring and summer pruning if you are dealing with fast-growing plants. (Please note: we're talking about about pruning shrubs that have already been formed for a hedge and have reached the required height and dimensions).
Formative pruning will help you keep the plant neat and compact - in the desired size and shape. And remember: once you have used this type of pruning, it is advisable to do the same thing annually.
Note: small plants can be cut with scissors or an electric trimmer. For large ones, you need to use pruning shears, since damaged leaves and stumps remaining from the shoots will turn brown and die.
(For more information on trimming hedges, see the articles on our website.)
Using technique 1, the following are pruned: hedges of barberries, privet, hawthorn, honeysuckle, cotoneaster, and snowberry.
It is always recommended to prune Salix lantana using technique 1 to maintain its shape.
TECHNIQUE 2. REMOVING HALF OF THE NEW GROWTH
Do not allow broom and other gorse bushes to spread widely and expose the base. Trim new growth by half each year. Start doing this when the plant is still young. If several years are missed for pruning, in the future young shoots will grow, falling down from the old, coarsened branches, which will sharply reduce the decorative value of the shrub. Trim back any new green shoots to encourage new branches and bush growth. Do not prune onto old, rough wood. Remove dead branches completely.
After pruning, the bush will look more elegant and compact.
Prune shrubs such as gorse after the flowers have faded but before the seeds have ripened.
Using technique 2, the following are pruned: Russian broom, creeping broom, English gorse.
TECHNIQUE 3. CUT OFF DEAD ENDS
Prune heathers and similar plants by removing dead shoot tips with scissors. This will help the plant to be slender and compact and encourage it to bloom.
Once the flowers begin to die, remove them with scissors. Wait until spring to prune fall-blooming heathers.
Remove shoots close to the base of the current year's growth. Do not prune onto old, dark wood.
Technique 3 is used to cut heathers and almost all erics.
TECHNIQUE 4. SHORTENING THE SIDE BRANCHES
We are talking about shrubs that bloom on the shoots of the previous year. As a rule, these are summer-flowering shrubs. Pruning such shrubs stimulates the growth of a large number of lateral branches and more abundant flowering. The shoots should be trimmed by one third from the top to well-developed buds immediately after flowering. (Hydrangea paniculata can be pruned in early spring if you want to admire its powerful inflorescences in winter).
After pruning, the plant will not appear to have grown significantly compared to last year. But it will become more compact, and flowering next year will be more abundant.
Using technique 4, the following are pruned: hawthorns, paniculata hydrangea, rugosa rose (if you grow it not for fruits, but for flowering), Erica arborescens. The latter should be cut not by a third, but by two thirds of the shoot.
TECHNIQUE 5. REMOVING ONE STEM OUT OF THREE.
A large number of shrubs that produce many new shoots each year will look healthy and beautiful if you cut back one shoot out of three each year. This very common technique allows the bushes to avoid excessive thickening and also stimulates flowering on strong shoots.
The technique is applied to three groups of bushes:
- Those that bloom early on the shoots of the previous year (forsythia, Spira vanguta, ornamental currants)
- Those that bloom profusely throughout almost the entire summer (shrub cinquefoil).
- To some shrubs that are grown for their sake beautiful foliage(white turf "Elegantissimo").
This type of pruning should begin when the bush reaches three years of age. And if every year after that you cut out one branch out of three, the bush will look strong and compact at the same time.
Remove one stem out of three, cutting it as close to the ground as possible. Select the weakest and oldest branches first.
After all old and weakened branches have been removed, remove those that extend far from the center of the bush and disrupt the shape of the plant. If you don't see a bud near the ground from which a new shoot can emerge, leave a short stem with a bud. You can later delete this branch as well when there is enough new growth to replace it.
After pruning, the bush may look somewhat sparse. But soon new shoots will appear to fill the space.
Using technique 5, a significant part of the bushes are pruned, if they need to be formed as tapeworms, and not for hedges. Among them are barberries, cotoneasters, hazel, deutzia, white derain "Elegantissimo", colkvitia, honeysuckle, sea buckthorn, mahonia, weigela, snowberry, stephanandra tanaki, mock orange, oleaster, ornamental currants, forsythia, cinquefoil, lilac (with a small caveat: remove you need not one of three, but one of four shoots), elderberry (if you need to stimulate not foliage growth, but flowering and fruiting); spirea - arguta, vanguta, thunberga, nipponica, Japanese - "Bumalda" and "Shirobana", viburnum (if you want to keep the bush more compact).
Please note: shrubs that bloom in early spring should be cut only after they have finished flowering. Summer-flowering shrubs can be pruned in early spring.
TECHNIQUE 6. Pruning to the ground
Use this technique to cultivate and improve the development of plants that throw up a large number of vigorously growing rods (such as sweet raspberries).
Some shrubs, such as ornamental raspberries, send out many new shoots every year. Old branches are best pruned to ground level in early spring.
This pruning is also used in cases where young shoots of plants growing like raspberries have a decorative color. Let's say Rubus cockburnianus has young shoots white. With age, their color changes and becomes less interesting. It is advisable to prune such a plant annually to ground level.
When pruning such plants, you do not need to worry about cutting to the bud that is visible to you. Young shoots will come directly from underground.
Using technique 6, the following are pruned: decorative raspberries, stephanandra inquisa, bicolor lespedeza.
TECHNIQUE 7. Pruning to the base of the bush (A)
Plants that are grown for their beautifully colored shoots, such as white dogwood, will look more attractive if they are regularly trimmed back to 5cm from the base of the bush to encourage the growth of new shoots.
The same technique is necessary to stimulate the growth of large decorative leaves, such as elderberries with yellow leaves.
Allow the plant to grow a season after planting and then next spring cut it at a height of 5-7 cm from the ground.
We do not recommend cutting plants in this way every year: if the bush is not well fed or poorly mulched, it will be able to throw out only weakened thin stems. But pruning to the base every second year is just what is needed. It will promote the growth of strong, thick stems, and the plant will not need intensive feeding.
Using technique 7, the following are pruned: tree trees with decorative bark and decorative leaves, willows with decorative bark, elderberry - if it is grown for its beautiful leaves.
TECHNIQUE 8. Pruning to the base of the bush (B)
The technique is exactly the same as the previous one. But pruning should be done in the first spring after planting and is required every year without fail. Buddleia and other shrubs that bloom on the current season's growth (such as tree hydrangea) will produce larger flowers on more compact plants if you prune the plant back to 5 to 7 cm from the base of the bush each spring. If this is not done, the plants will produce smaller flowers on spindly, elongated branches.
Trim off all last year's growth, leaving 2 buds at the base. This is usually 5-7 cm on last year's shoots.
If the bush has grown to a very large size and is overcrowded with shoots, cut one or two old stems to ground level. This will allow the plant to conserve energy for better flowering and get rid of poorly placed branches.
After pruning, many bushes can throw out shoots up to one and a half meters or more per season.
The same technique is applicable in the case of dwarf Japanese spirea. By cutting them to the base of the bush, you kill several birds with one stone: you create growing conditions for new strong stems, form a compact, beautiful shape shrub, and in the case of yellow-leaved spirea, promote the growth of brighter and more expressive foliage.
Using technique 8, the following are pruned: buddleia, tree hydrangea, spirea “Little Princess”, “Golden Princess”, “Gold Mound”, “Nana” and similar ones.
TECHNIQUE 9. Pruning PLANTS WITH GRAY LEAVES
Regular pruning of plants such as lavender helps to create the correct compact shape. Start cutting the plant while it is young. If you resort to severe pruning of an adult plant for the first time and cut into old wood, the bush can become very weak and even die. Prune regularly every spring.
If the current year's growth comes directly from the base of the bush, cut the plant 5-10 cm from the ground.
Be careful with a mature plant with a woody base that does not have young shoots coming from the ground. Do not cut into old dark wood. Make do with trimming soft shoots from the previous year 5-10 cm from old dark wood.
Using technique 9, the following are pruned: lavender, perovski.
That, in fact, is all the wisdom.
Of course, this scheme needs to be approached creatively. If, when we plant a shrub, which is usually pruned using technique 5 (one shoot out of three is removed), it has grown greatly, has lost its attractive shape and has begun to bloom worse, it can be radically planted on a stump using technique 8 and thereby be rejuvenated. If the ends of a bush that is pruned using the same technique 5 are frozen, you will still have to not only remove one shoot out of three, but also run pruning shears along the tips of the frozen branches. For example, I don’t really like it when my cinquefoils “Goldfinger” and “Tangerine” fall apart in somewhat shapeless bushes, and therefore every spring I cut them like gorse - by half of last year’s growth. In exactly the same way and for the same purposes, I cut the summer-blooming spirea “Bumlda” and “Shirobana”. Or, for example, paniculata hydrangea. Sometimes you cut it not into a third of the shoot, but much more, in search of a good pair of buds and a beautiful shrub habit as a whole.
In short, it is quite acceptable to deviate from the rules if you know these rules well and have a perfect idea of why you are making this or that movement with the pruning shears.
And finally: any pruning technique must be combined with sanitary pruning - remove all diseased, broken, crooked, weakened branches. But this is already quite simple...
Happy pruning!
Irina SAVVATEEVA, CEO"Savvateev Nursery"