Spring Pruning Guide for Trees and Shrubs

Related Articles

PrintPrintEmailEmail
Your rating: None Average: 4.2 of 5 (9 votes)

Here is a spring pruning guide for trees and shrubs. The Old Farmer's Almanac presents a guide to when and how to prune specific varieties of trees and shrubs.

WHAT WHEN HOW
Apple Early spring Prune moderately. Keep tree open with main branches well spaced. Avoid sharp V-shaped crotches.
Cherry Early spring Prune the most vigorous shoots moderately.
Clematis Spring Cut weak growth. Save as much old wood as possible.
Flowering dogwood After flowering Remove dead wood only.
Forsythia After flowering Remove old branches at ground. Trim new growth.
Lilac After flowering Remove diseased, scaly growth, flower heads, and suckers.
Peach Early spring Remove half of last year's growth. Keep tree headed low.
Plum Early spring Cut dead, diseased branches; trim rank growth moderately.
Rhododendron After flowering Prune judiciously. Snip branches from weak, leggy plants to induce growth from roots.
Rose (except climbers) Spring, after frosts Cut dead and weak growth; cut branches or canes to four or five eyes.
Rose (climbers) After flowering Cut half of old growth; retain new shoots for next year.
Rose of Sharon When buds Cut all winter-killed wood to swell begin growth back to live wood.
Trumpet vine Early spring Prune side branches severely to main stem.
Virginia creeper Spring Clip young plants freely. Thin old plants and remove dead growth.
Wisteria Spring, summer Cut new growth to spurs at axils of leaves.
More Articles:

Comments

I have a wisteria plant (apx.

I have a wisteria plant (apx. 5 yrs old) which has not bloomed - I was told to hard prune it (cut it back) which I have done I also did a light pruning, with the same results - no blooms
Help
Thanks

It can take a good six years

It can take a good six years for a newly established wisteria to start flowering—sometimes longer! See our Wisteria page for more about pruning--and some "extreme" ideas to encourage blooming! See: http://www.almanac.com/plant/wisteria

can inkberry bushes be cut to

can inkberry bushes be cut to 10-12 inches in summer?

Inkberry should be cut back

Inkberry should be cut back in late winter or early spring.

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
By submitting this form, you accept the Mollom privacy policy.