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Pruning Trees & Shrubs in the Fall
Pruning Trees & Shrubs in the Fall
As a general rule of thumb when it comes to pruning trees and shrubs, if it flowers in the spring, don't prune it in the fall.
Pruning is a standard component of tree and shrub care, but if the timing is wrong it can damage your trees and shrubs.
We recently had some pruning completed on some of our landscape plants that are around our corporate office. Many of our employees asked why the company doing the work did not prune all of the shrubs.
I took a look and saw that the shrubs that were not pruned were lilacs, specifically, Korean lilacs. Since lilacs flower in the spring, pruning them at this time of year would reduce the number of flowers they produce next spring. This is especially true if the pruning is completed using a hedge shears.
There are two basic types of pruning – shaping and thinning. Many people shape evergreens and small leafy shrubs into either distinct shapes or free flowing groupings. Thinning is when selected branches are removed for various reasons related to general tree maintenance. Examples of this are removing crossing branches or damaged or diseased branches, removing overgrown branches or opening up the plant's interior to allow for better growth. Thinning can take place at almost any time of year, with the understanding that you may be removing some of the flowering branches, but there should be enough remaining to provide enough flowers to enjoy. Shaping is more time-dependent, based on when the plant flowers.
Spring flowering shrubs should be pruned shortly after they finish flowering in the spring. Shaping a bush in the fall, such as the lilac discussed above, would result in fewer blossoms the following spring. Many spring flowering shrubs set their buds and flowers the previous fall. If these are removed during the shaping process, you are removing the flowers. It will still produce some flowers, but the overall look of your plant will be diminished.