Winter is the ideal time to prune most shrubs and trees
Correct pruning is a landscape practice that can enhance the health, vigor and aesthetics of your trees and shrubs. In this blog, we are discussing five advantages to pruning in the winter:
1. During the winter, most woody plants are dormant and so are the many diseases and insects that can potentially invade pruning cuts. When a plant is pruned during the growing season, for many plants, the activity of pruning during the growing season actually signals the plant to grow. Winter pruning when the plants are dormant, enable you to prune deeper without the plant trying to grow.
2. After leaves have fallen, it is much easier to see the plants overall form and structure. Damaged and diseased branches are more readily apparent when not obscured by foliage.
3. Pruning in the late summer or early fall can stimulate new growth that may not harden off before the cold weather. This is not a concern during the winter. (As discussed above)
4. Winter pruning is good for your plants, leaving them with extra root and energy reserves to quickly heal wounds and support vigorous spring growth that will obscure the pruning cuts.
5. Winter pruning is also good for you, giving you a reason to go outside on a mild winter day to enjoy your landscape.
Although winter and early spring is a great time to prune, if the tree or shrub is a spring flowering plant and the blooms are important to you, it may be best to wait and prune that plant shortly after it is done blooming. Even though pruning spring blooming plants in the winter will never adversely affect the plant’s health, it can reduce those blooms. [Read more…]