|
Pruning
Every day is a bad-hair
day for a plant that needs pruning. Like a haircut, pruning stimulates
growth and gives your plant shape with a well-groomed look. Pruning
also protects your plant from pests, diseases, and frost.
Many shrubs and vines
will outgrow their containers quickly unless they are pruned back
regularly. Pruning is generally reserved for perennials with woody
stems - but even many fresh green annuals respond well to proper
pinching and shaping.
Any major pruning should
be done just after a plant finishes flowering, or just before a
new growth period, to direct the plant's energy into strong, healthy
shoots and abundant blooms. All dead or straggly stems should be
cut first, along with any suckers (shoots growing from the rootstock).
Stems growing inward toward the center of the plant should also
be cut to allow air and light into the plant's center.
Use sharp shears to make
strong, clean cuts without ragged edges. When pruning, cut off the
branch as close to (flush with) the main stem as possible. Partial
stems should be cut about a quarter inch above a bud, at an angle,
to let any moisture drain away. A perpendicular cut may cause the
stem to die back. Your plants will thank you for the "new do"
with strong stems and healthy blooms.
|
