Gardeners tend to affectionately hang onto plants that we have grown. This affection will lead to decisions about pruning. Just like we must cut things out of our lives, to grow as human beings, plants also need this cutting away. Pruning is about growth, which may not seem intuitive, but is the plant’s response this important management practice.
For this discussion we are going talk about grapevines, which is a fruit that comes from an active, thriving branch connected to a living vine. We will work backwards from grape to branch to vine.
The grape is the conclusion of a process. What is the process? It is the flow of life and water and nutrients. A healthy relationship between the branch and the vine is vital because a grape cannot produce itself! Where does that start?
It starts with the vinedresser, of course! He makes sure the vine and the branch have clear access to the nutrients they need to survive and thrive. For gardeners, this is one of the hardest things to do because we love our plants, but just like in life, we must prune things to help them grow and quite frankly this is one of the most important things a vinedresser can do. To keep a clear flow of nutrients and moisture from the root in the ground to the fruit at the end of the branch the vinedresser must be diligent in cutting away the dead branches. If dead branches are left, they will become “dead weight” to the vine. The branches that do not produce fruit, but divert resources designed for the healthy part of the plant, may also carry diseases, or attract insect pests.
Why prune? Because it is healthy for the life of the plant. The branches do not bear fruit or flowers themselves. They are connected and thrive through the vine. Without the vine the branches die and cannot produce fruit. Pruning helps to keep the main plant healthy. Our job as gardeners is to help this process by pruning our beloved plants.
Paulding County Extension Agent, Mary Carol Sheffield, is often asked when the best time is to prune specific plants. She says, “It can be very confusing to know when to prune flowering and fruiting plants or evergreen plants.” Mary Carol recommends the following basic rules that will help you determine when to prune your landscape plants.
Rule No. 1 – If the plant blooms in the spring such as azaleas, dogwoods, forsythia, or mophead hydrangea, then it should be pruned right after blooming. Spring flowering plants form their flower buds in the fall. If these plants are pruned in late winter, then the flower buds will be removed and as a result there will be no spring flowers to enjoy.
Rule No. 2 – If the plant blooms in the summer, then prune in late winter (late February to early March) while the plant is still dormant.
Rule No. 3 – If plants are not grown for their flowers, the best time for pruning is during the dormant winter season (late February to early March) before new growth begins in the spring.
Rule No. 4 – Do not prune during the late summer and fall because new growth may occur and make the plants more susceptible to cold injury.
There are exceptions to these rules. Remove anything that is dead or diseased at any time of year. Another exception is to clean up the overall appearance of a spring bloomer that has not been pruned in an extraordinarily long time. For example, if an azalea is ten feet tall and scraggly and doesn’t flower well, then prune it in the late winter to clean it up. The plant will not flower in the spring, but it will at least have a healthy start in the spring and will bloom the following year.
The author of this article, Robert Cabrera, is the Executive Director of Keep Paulding Beautiful and a Paulding County UGA Master Gardener Extension Volunteer. For more information on the correct way to prune, you can download the following University of Georgia Extension publication Basic Principles of Pruning Woody Plants from http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.cfm?number=B949 .
