As the chill of winter fades, and the warmth of spring brings hope for brighter days, it’s time to start planning and preparing your garden. Spring pruning is one way to get your garden thriving and healthy. Read our guide for everything you need to know about spring pruning.
Why You Should Prune in Early Spring
In North Dakota, plants go into dormancy during the coldest months of the year. Once it gets warmer, plants awake from their slumber and begin to grow again. For many types of plants, pruning before this growth spurt is ideal. When we don’t prune, dead and diseased parts of trees, shrubs, and plants can get out of control and kill off the entire thing. Pruning is also necessary when new shoots or suckers grow off of a healthy plant. If left unchecked, that new growth can overtake the healthy plant and destroy it.
What Should I Prune in Early Spring?
Prune trees during early spring to cut away anything dangerous or a total eyesore. Most trees can be pruned during this time, but be cautious. Don’t prune more than 10% of the branches, or you may end up doing more harm than good. Pruning can increase the risk of insect infestation and disease, so be picky about your spring pruning tactics.
Prune lilac, rhododendron, and forsythia in early or late spring, once they are done blooming. Don’t wait too long to prune them. You don’t want to remove any new flower buds that would be next season’s beautiful, fragrant blooms.
Pruning roses may depend on what variety you have planted. If you have roses that bloom once a year, treat them similarly to lilacs by pruning them after their blooms have spent. If you need to cut back an overgrown rose bush, early spring is a great time.
Non-flowering shrubs can be pruned almost anytime except autumn. Minor pruning can be done in early spring, but it might be wise to wait until winter to do a major makeover.
Spring pruning is one way to get your garden thriving and healthy.
Pruning Supplies you Need
If you’re planning on accomplishing some spring pruning, it’s a great time to take a total inventory of your garden supplies that you may need throughout the gardening season. Some pruning essentials are:
- Sturdy gardening gloves that can handle tough or pokey branches
- A trowel or garden fork
- Sharp pruning shears
- Sharp hedge shears
As you create your plan of attack against the dreaded brambles and twigs, think ahead to how you will dispose of the cuttings as well. It will save you a headache!
How to Prune in Early Spring
Now it’s time to get to work! Check the forecast before you prune. Rainy day pruning is a no-go, and you want the weather to be mild, not hot or cold. Pruning in cold and wet conditions makes the plant more susceptible to disease and damage, and it won’t be pleasant for you either. Pruning when it’s too hot will put the plant under strain, and it’s likely doing a lot of growing during this time, anyway.
Start by pruning the priority area: the dead and diseased areas that winter was unkind to. From there, you can remove the branches or areas that are overgrown. Again, proceed with caution. Don’t take away from the structure of the plant. Always cut branches at the node, where one branch or twig connects with another.
Remember that pruning is essentially giving your plant small cuts that it needs to heal. For many plants, pruning in early spring gives it a chance to heal quickly before it puts out its greatest growth and most beautiful blooms.
Knowing what to prune and when is a great tool to help you have your best garden yet. If you’re looking for more tips on spring pruning in Bismark, come visit us! We’re always here to help you with all of your gardening needs.