Winter is a perfect time of year to start pruning many of your perennials, shrubs, and trees.
Winter is a perfect time of year to start pruning many of your perennials, shrubs, and trees. As most plants go dormant during the winter, February is a good time to begin adjusting the shapes of your plants. Pruning is made easy as you can identify the “bare bones” of your plants. Different plants around your landscape will need to be pruned in different ways so they can recover in time for next season’s budding. Below are a few pruning tips to use this winter.
Trees and Shrubs
Winter is the best time for redirecting or thinning trees and shrubs that require it. Rid your trees and shrubs of all broken, diseased, and dead branches to help maintain a healthy condition. If your trees have any large branches that growing in a direction you don’t like, now is also the time to prune them because the branches are bare, allowing you to more easily identify the optimal cutting point, and redirect your tree.
You can also take this time to do some more basic shaping, and head back various wild shoots and leaders. If you have any arching shrubs that have become overgrown, prune them back to keep their foliage from becoming unruly.
Vines
In many instances, vines require the same pruning procedures that shrubs and trees will need. If you have clutter, thin it out. Trim back wild leaders. If you want to plant spring-blooming vines, it’s best to refrain from doing so until those vines are full bloom.
Grasses & Perennials
If you have upright perennials or ornamental grasses that have either become overgrown or collapsed, you should take a little time to cut them back, assuming you haven’t done so already.
For many varieties, it is apparent when they need to be trimmed. Some should be cut just a few inches above the ground, but there are others that should be cut down to ground level. Try your best to avoid cutting new green shoots that could be sprouting from the base.
For evergreens, you won’t need to cut them back too frequently. Instead, you’ll just have to clean and thin them out. If you’re having trouble determining the most appropriate pruning treatment, you can consult a professional landscaping company for guidance.
Questions? Lehnhoff’s Supply is Here to Help
If you still have more questions about how to best prepare your landscape or garden for winter, the trained professionals at Lehnhoff’s Supply are here to help you.
Find us at 2708 Belair Road, Fallston, MD 21047, and give us a call at 410-510-7646. For tips, tricks, and to see what we have been up to, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!
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