WHY EARLY SPRING IS AN IDEAL TIME FOR PRUNING IN INDIANA
Believe it or not, we’re well into pruning season already in Indiana. Pruning is one of the first gardening chores of the year to get moving on since you can start before winter is over. It’s important to make sure your pruning is complete before your tree and shrubs begin to put out new growth.
In general, pruning for trees and shrubs is usually done when the plant is dormant, often in early spring. Pruning while the weather is still cold is beneficial for a few different reasons.
Even if your tree or shrub doesn’t need much pruning, taking a few inches off the ends of most of the branches will encourage bushier, denser growth.
BENEFITS OF EARLY SPRING PRUNING
In early spring or late winter, the sap in trees and shrubs isn’t running yet. The plant is still focusing on retaining its energy and moisture in the roots and main trunk. So pruning now, except for birch and maple, will prevent your tree from losing sap out of wounds. Pruning in early spring gives the cuts time to scab or heal over before the sap starts running.
The other benefit to pruning in spring is that it encourages plants to put out lots of new growth when they get started in a few weeks. Even if your tree or shrub doesn’t need much pruning, taking a few inches off the ends of most of the branches will encourage bushier, denser growth.
WHAT TO PRUNE IN EARLY SPRING
Pruning for early spring is commonly done between February and April. This is a great time to prune most fruit trees, deciduous trees, and shrubs that bloom on new growth. If your trees and shrubs bloom, think about when they bloom. If they bloom in the summer or fall, you can prune them in early spring.
WHAT TO PRUNE IN LATE SPRING
If you had flowering shrubs that bloomed in early spring, like lilac, magnolias, viburnums, forsythia, and witch hazel, then they should be pruned later, after they’ve finished flowering.
Early spring blooming trees set buds for next season on old wood as soon as they’ve finished this year’s bloom. While you won’t hurt these plants by pruning them in early spring, you’ll sacrifice some of your flowers for the year.
The moderate downside to late spring pruning is that pruning when the weather is hot will slow down a tree or shrub’s growth for the year. So if you’re aiming to keep a tree or shrub compact, pruning in late spring or early summer will help you achieve that.
EXCEPTIONS TO SPRING PRUNING
Some plants should not be pruned in spring at all. For example, you should not prune oak in the spring as it will attract beetles that carry oak wilt. It’s better to prune oak in winter when the beetles are dormant and your tree is less likely to get infected.
PRUNING TIPS
Here are a few pruning tips to help you get the job done.
Keep your tools clean and sharp.
Use appropriately sized tools for the limb you’re cutting.
Take large branches off in chunks to avoid breaking or tearing the tree.
Isolate and burn diseased limbs as quickly as possible, and sanitize your pruners.
Don’t take off more than ⅓ of a tree or shrubs total volume unless you’re doing rejuvenation pruning.
Remove all dead, damaged, or diseased limbs.
Stop by Dammanns Garden Co. today to pick up any tools you might need for spring pruning!