The splendid witch hazel has an aversion to pruning of any kind. However, for cosmetic reasons it may be advisable to correct minor growth defects with scissors. These instructions explain when and how to properly prune the opulent flowering shrub.

The witch hazel is cut after flowering

Prune witch hazel after flowering

When winter still has the garden firmly in its grip, the witch hazel puts on its blossoms. From the end of January until well into March, the flowering shrubs get us in the mood for the approaching spring with cheerful dabs of colour. Due to the early flowering period, the time window for pruning opens up when the flowers have withered.

Slight corrective cuts are permitted

With strong cuts you draw the displeasure of the flower beauty. As a result of leisurely growth, each careless cut leaves a gap that spoils the well-groomed appearance for a long time. Witch hazel usually does not sprout at all from old wood. Nevertheless, the ornamental tree tolerates a moderate correction cut. How to cut with finesse:

  • Best cutting tool: Pruning shears or secateurs with a bypass mechanism
  • Prune frozen branches back into healthy wood
  • Thin out dead wood at the base or on a ring
  • Cut off awkwardly positioned branches that are growing towards the inside of the bush or transversely

The younger the witch hazel, the better it will handle pruning and continue to grow. In order to regulate the growth form, shaping interventions should be completed by the fifth year of life. On older specimens, you should carefully plan each individual cut and weigh up the need for it.

Cut witch hazel for the vase

There is nothing wrong with bringing the wintry blossom splendor of a witch hazel into your home. Please cut flowering branches so that no long stub remains. Such "coat hooks" call pathogens and pests onto the scene.

Derive long branches better - this is how it works

If you are forced to trim a long branch, a special cutting technique softens the visual impact on the witch hazel. In gardeners' language, the cut is called derivation. That is how it goes:

  • Choose an outward-facing, young side shoot near the desired cutting point
  • Cut off the used branch at the fork to the young wood
  • Position the scissors or saw a few millimeters in the old wood

The young side shoot guarantees that there are no noticeable gaps in the bush. From several candidates, choose the shoot that points in the desired direction of growth. Unless you can spot a suitable side branch, choose a promising bud as the cutting point.

A derivation cut is also the method of choice if you want to remove old, overly long branches from a witch hazel bush that has grown too large. If you don't remove more than one or two overgrown branches a year, the witch hazel won't take it amiss.

tips

Cheeky wild shoots give reason for an exceptionally radical cut of a witch hazel. Everything that sprout below the grafting point should be removed promptly. The unwanted water shoots can be identified by differently shaped leaves and a steeply upward growth direction. Cut off a Wildling at the base or tear off the shoot with a bold jerk.

Category:

Trees