Don’t Skip This: Clean Your Gear!
Protect your plants with this simple but crucial step. If your equipment has not been cleaned recently, or if you are pruning multiple plants, this is very important. You can clean your pruners and saws with 70% isopropyl alcohol on a clean rag or cloth. Make sure to wipe off dirt or sap before applying the alcohol. Let the tools fully dry between pruning or when putting the equipment back into storage.
Why is this so important? Trees can easily spread disease or become susceptible to them when equipment is not clean. Plants are living organisms. You wouldn’t want your surgeon to make incisions with a dirty scalpel, so why subject your plants to it? Keeping your equipment clean has another benefit – the tools will remain in good condition far longer when they are maintained properly. Replacing tools isn’t cheap, after all!
Knowing What, Where, and How to Cut Away
Goals for pruning can vary. Are you looking to maintain a certain size or shape? Are you trying to promote the health of the plant’s blooms for next year? Is there a number of dead branches that need to go? Do you have crowding or crossing limbs on your tree or shrub?
A good rule of thumb is to assess for all of the above things. Dead branches and spent blooms can generally get pruned off anytime, but deadhead according to best practices for your plant. For example, a lot of hydrangea varieties are better to deadhead toward the end of their blooming period in August or so. But some of them that bloom on old wood, like the oakleaf hydrangea, are going to produce some buds in late summer and cutting these off can eliminate potential blooms for the next season. If you are ever unsure about a plant or tree, our horticulture experts here at Franz Witte can help!
Crowding or crossing limbs can really inhibit a plant’s growth. Basically, if you notice that there are limbs that rub up against each other or overlap, they will be problems for each other as growth occurs. It is best to trim these. The spots where branches touch and rub together are also a concern because the “wear spots” that can occur from this friction can open a gateway for disease or pests to enter. It’s comparable to putting a Band-Aid over an open scab to protect your wound, but this method is a proactive move, as it is better to keep the wound from occurring after all!
Wondering where to cut? Cut back to a growing spot. To identify this spot, look for either a leaf node or a spot where another branch forks off from the main limb or branch.
Not all Prune-Worthy Plants Are Made Equal
The varieties that require pruning and the best time to prune them can vary a bit. Fall is a great time to prune for a lot of plants, like hydrangeas at bloom dormancy, most rose varieties, lavender, bearded irises, blanket flower, yarrow, and many others.
Some plants carry pruning instructions on the plant tag, but with the amazingly fast research ability of the internet and access to horticulture experts here at Franz Witte, you should have no trouble finding the information you need. If you are unsure, don’t be afraid to ask! We want you to make the most of your garden space, and this knowledge is for everyone.
We hope your fall garden is thriving! There’s lots of planting that can be done this time of year, so don’t miss out on your chance to swap out or fill spaces with fun perennials, trees, or shrubs before winter approaches. We hope you’ll come back to visit us at Franz Witte Garden Center soon!
