The end of winter is an ideal pruning date for many ornamental trees and shrubs. This is especially true of those plants that bloom in summer or late autumn, such as perovskia, budleja, cinquefoil, hibiscus Chinese rose, and Billard's tavern.Shorten last year's shoots to a length of 2 stitches before they even start bouncing.
Shrubs with red shoots are handled in a similar way, such as the Podolski perukowiec, the 'Purpurea' southern hazel, and the 'Black Lace' lilacs. After hard cutting, the plants regain vigor and their leaves acquire a more intense color. Dogwoods: white and crested dogwoods also have attractively colored bark and look nice especially in winter.
Cutting frequently cultivated shrubs
- Perukowiec Podolski 'Royal Purple' should be trimmed to a height of several centimeters;
- Billarda's Tawuła blooms on young shoots. Pruning stimulates the growth of the bushes. This species grows up to 2 m and is recommended for hedges and unformed lines;
- Dogwood (varieties with red shoots, e.g. 'Sibirica', and yellow ones) should be trimmed low to the ground.
Since young shoots have the most beautiful coloration, plants over 3 years old are best trimmed in late winter just above the groundSpecies that bloom in spring, such as forsythia and goldenrod, develop flower buds on last year's shoots, so they are pruned only after flowering.Some plants, incl. magnolia, don't need cutting at all.
