Many bushes depend on regular pruning so that they thrive vital, healthy and shapely. The right time depends primarily on the flowering period. Beginners to pruning will appreciate that most shrubs benefit from a consistent pruning routine. Read this guide to learn how to skillfully trim bushes.

Summer-flowering bushes are cut in winter

Prune summer flowering bushes in winter

Summer-blooming bushes are very popular thanks to uncomplicated pruning. The buds for this year's blossom symphony appear on the young wood, which sprout from spring. This category includes popular flower beauties such as butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii), summer spire (Spiraea japonica) and panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata).

The best time to cut bushes that bloom in summer is in late winter. Cut back these shrubs when there is no longer any fear of freezing frost between the beginning of February and the beginning of March. The amount of pruning is subject to your personal judgment as well as the variety-specific attributes, because you don't have to worry about accidentally cutting off valuable flowering plants.

Prune spring flowering bushes in summer

Spring flowering bushes are spared from pruning in late winter. The trees put on their flower buds in the summer and autumn of the previous year. If you let your scissors circle in February, you will look in vain for the longed-for blossom fairy tale in spring.

The best time to cut spring-flowering shrubs is after the flowering period. Cut back spring harbingers such as weigela (Weigelia), Mayflower shrub (Deutzia) or goldbells (Forsythia) a little in summer. As long as you limit yourself to this year's growth and faded flowers, you continue to act in accordance with the Federal Nature Conservation Act.

cutting instructions

Regardless of the individual characteristics of the variety, expert pruning follows a proven basic scheme. The aim is an airy, light-flooded growth. When the sun's rays penetrate deep into a bush, the revitalizing photosynthesis ensures a dense foliage. How to properly prune bushes:

  • Always prune dead, frozen and stunted branches at the beginning
  • Trim wilted flowers to just short of a bud, leaf node, or leaf
  • Cut off deadwood on a branch or at ground level
  • Prune back or completely remove shoots that grow transversely or protrude from the mold
  • Cut away the weakest specimens from branches that are too close together

Cardinal mistakes when cutting bushes are gaps and holes in the appearance. This shortcoming is circumvented by cutting back overly long branches via the path of a derivation. With this pruning technique, you do not cut anywhere, but at the fork to a young, well-positioned side shoot.

tips

Rose bushes have a special position in terms of pruning. Roses that primarily bloom more often receive the main cut in the spring, followed by a light maintenance cut in the summer. When the forsythia is in bloom, prune your roses vigorously, leaving just a few buds. After the first bloom, trim off faded rose petals to pave the way for another generation of buds and a flowering period well into fall.

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Care tips