- What are the advantages of pruning in the fall?
- Which shrubs should be pruned in autumn?
- Are all hydrangeas pruned in the fall?
You can argue about the best time to cut back shrubs, but this is often a matter of consideration or a pure question of time. Some shrubs also tolerate two cuts a year, in spring and autumn.
Raspberry bushes are cut in autumn
What are the advantages of pruning in the fall?
If you cut back evergreen shrubs in autumn, you reduce the risk of branches or twigs breaking under the weight of heavy snowfall. If the branches of large shrubs hang over a path so that you touch them when you walk on them, then this is certainly no fun in wet weather. If you prune these shrubs in good time, you can save yourself many an involuntary shower.
Which shrubs should be pruned in autumn?
Cut back your berry bushes in autumn, such as currants and gooseberries, but also blackberries and summer raspberries. This will prevent any mites that may be present on the bushes from overwintering and spreading and multiplying again next spring. Autumn raspberries, on the other hand, are only cut in winter.
Hedge shrubs are usually pruned in autumn, often again in spring. Unrestricted pruning is only permitted by law from October 1st and before March 1st. In the summer, radical pruning to protect nesting birds is prohibited. Then you may only make light shaping and care cuts.
Shrubs to cut in fall:
- soft fruit
- Hedge shrubs, exception: early bloomers
- evergreen shrubs
- cinquefoil
- Forest or snowball hydrangea
- Panicle Hydrangeas
Are all hydrangeas pruned in the fall?
Similar names suggest similar care, but you shouldn't prune all hydrangeas in the fall. Varieties that sprout the new buds in autumn should no longer be cut back. Most species belong to this category, for example the farmer's, climbing, giant leaf and plate hydrangeas.
A few species such as the forest or snowball hydrangea and the panicle hydrangea are an exception. The new flower buds do not form on these shrubs until spring. Therefore, they may be pruned either in autumn or early spring.
tips
It is best to cut evergreen shrubs in late autumn, then fewer shoots will break off due to their snow load in winter.