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Pruning your plants is key to creating an attractive garden. Whether you prune on your own or hire a landscape company for ongoing yard care, you should develop a schedule for trimming your flowers, shrubs, and trees. Use the following guide for more information about pruning common garden plants.

A Guide to Pruning Plants

1. Spring Trees & Shrubs

Beautiful flowers like lilacs and forsythias flower during the spring. The buds grow off wood that matured during the previous year, so you should prune them once they finish blooming in late spring.

Trimming them in winter or summer risks removing flower buds, which could result in less springtime growth. To promote ample springtime growth, trim old stalks all the way to the ground.

2. Summer-Blooming Plants 

Summer-blooming plants, like butterfly bushes, are more forgiving than their spring-blooming counterparts. You can prune summer-bloomers in winter or early spring before they’ve started to grow flowers. These plants are known to grow well in the summer months, even if they’re significantly trimmed down before the growing season begins.

3. Hedges

landscape companyDense, well-shaped hedges require extra maintenance to stay attractive during the growing season. Hedges should be trimmed at least twice a year. Pruning can help you achieve dense growth and ideal shape during the growing season.

It’s most beneficial to trim during late spring, early fall, or winter when the hedges are dormant. A landscape company can advise you of the best pruning schedule for your hedges.

4. Evergreen Trees 

Evergreen trees may or may not need pruning, depending on where they’re located in your yard. They grow well under most conditions, but you should trim branches that are close to the property line or near your home.

Early summer is the best time of the year for pruning evergreens. These trees can grow quite large, so a regular pruning schedule will help keep the growth under control. 

5. Fruit Trees 

If you want an apple, pear, peach, or cherry tree that’s prepared to bear fruit throughout its growing season, prune the tree in the middle of winter. This will allow the tree to receive more light during growth periods.

Avoid pruning during the growing season since you could expose the trees to a common disease called fire blight. This contagious disease attacks a tree’s blossoms, leaves, shoots, branches, fruits, and roots.

 

If you need help maintaining your yard, turn to the professionals at M K Landscaping LLC. This Valley Park, MO, landscape company can assist with lawn care, yard design, and retaining walls. They offer no-obligation estimates to residents throughout St. Louis County and are known for their reliable service. Learn about their lawn maintenance options online, or call (314) 805-6922 to speak with a friendly team member. 

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