Spring is perfect for spending time in the garden, planting flowers and making sure everything looks great. Bushes and shrubs need care, too, but if you trim them at the wrong time you risk damaging their health.
Most hedges and shrubs benefit from annual pruning. It keeps them in shape, encourages new growth, gets rid of dead and diseased wood, and allows light and air to reach the plant. If you prune a flowering shrub at the wrong time of the year, however, you risk damaging it or at the very least missing out on a whole year’s worth of blooms.
A general rule of thumb when deciding when to trim is:
- Prune bushes and shrubs that bloom in the spring right after they bloom
- Prune summer or fall-blooming bushes and shrubs in the early spring, after new growth has set but before bloom or buds start to form
This helps give the plants time to set new buds and flower again next season. The good news is that even if you trim at the wrong time of year, your plant will probably be fine, you’ll just have to wait a year to see it flower again.
There are instances where it’s ok to trim at any time of the year. For instance, you can remove dead or damaged parts of your shrubs or hedges whenever you see them. Just be sure it’s really dead – don’t assume. Sometimes in very early spring a plant can appear dead, when it’s still just coming out of dormancy. If you’re not sure, wait a couple of weeks to see if any buds emerge.
Light trimming of wayward branches for shaping can also be done at any time of the year.
Here’s a little more guidance for trimming bushes and shrubs for Visalia and Central Valley California landscapes.
Tips for trimming hedges and shrubs in the spring
- Trim early-spring-flowering shrubs, such as Azalea, Forsythia, and Wisteria after they bloom.
- Summer-flowering plants, such as Butterfly Bush, Flowering Plum, and Honeysuckle should be trimmed in early spring before blooms set.
- For non-flowering plants, trim after new growth has completely formed, usually by late spring or early summer.
- Prune injured foliage from evergreen shrubs like boxwood in the spring. But wait until early summer, after new growth has formed, to shape for hedges.
Spring is a beautiful time for gardening. We love spring, and we’re happy to help with any garden care or landscaping issues you might have for your home, business or commercial property in Visalia or throughout the San Joaquin and Central Valley area. Please feel free to call us at (559) 651-2333 for all of your landscaping and irrigation questions or needs.