When It Comes To Pruning, Timing Is Everything!
July feels like the whole world is alive and growing, with the lawn and shrubs full of green foliage. But before you get the urge to prune those gangly shrubs you’ve been meaning to shear, be sure that summer is the right time for pruning.
Evergreen bushes and shrubs are fine with summer pruning, starting as early as June. Stop all pruning in fall at least six weeks before the usual date of the first frost.
Shrubs that bloom in the fall like to be pruned in spring. And those that bloom in spring like to be pruned in the fall. Exceptions are those plants that bloom on last year’s growth, such as lilacs.
Don’t prune lilacs after the Fourth of July. By that time, they’ve already started forming flower heads for next year. If you prune, you’ll cut them off and you won’t see any of next year’s blooms.
- FC&A Staff Writer
