Cutting the bladdershould be done every year. This shrub tolerates pruning well, as long as it is done in a timely manner. A properly made cut will allow the bladder to bloom nicely and bloom profusely. We explainhow and when to trim bladderso that the plant gets a nice shape and produces as many flowers as possible!
How and when to trim bladders?
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When to trim bladders?
The most popular species of pemphigus grown in our country is calinolifula. This plant blooms on last year's buds. Therefore,should not trim the bladder in spring , which is unfortunately a common mistake!
By pruning the bladder in spring, remove the buds and the bladder will not bloom(or the flowering will be very weak). In addition, during the spring cutting of the bladder, there is a strong leakage of sap, which greatly weakens the plant and creates a high risk of disease infections.
The best time to cut the pemphigus is just after flowering , in August. Trimming the pemphigus during this period will prevent the plant from wasting its strength on fruit setting. Instead, it will release a lot of new shoots, on which it will bloom next year.
It is also acceptabletrimming the bladder in the fallbut this procedure does not give as good results as the summer cut, right after flowering. Typically, fall pruning is beneficial for hedgerow shrubs, which may require trimming twice a year to maintain their regular shape. Then we cut them in the summer right after flowering and the second time in the fall.
How do I trim the bladder?
For the best results in cutting the pemphigus, remember thatthis shrub blooms most abundantly on 2 and 3-year-old shoots .
That is why the oldest shoots (i.e. the thickest and most branched ones) are pruned just above the ground. We also completely cut out shoots damaged and infected by diseases. In totalwe should remove about 1/4 of all shoots owned by the bush , which will loosen it significantly.
Young shoots that have bloomed this year are shortened by about 1/3 of their lengthRemember to cut just above the branch from which a strong shoot emerges or just above the side bud facing outwards bush. This promotes the growth of new shoots outside the bush and prevents its excessive thickening to the inside of the crown.
At the same time, be careful not tocut the youngest shoots of this year , which are still very delicate (easy to get infected after pruning) and they will bloom most profusely in the next year.
With what to trim bladders?
Thegarden pruner is best for pruning the pemphigus. It is intended for cutting branches. When cutting the thickest shoots, a secateurs with elongated arms can be useful, thanks to which the cutting force is increased. In the case ofcutting the bladder into a formed hedge , the work will be much faster using an electric hedge trimmer.
It is worth protecting cutting wounds with garden ointment (especially thicker trimmed branches) or spraying whole shrubs with fungicide. If you do not want to overuse chemicals, it will be a good idea to spray with a natural preparation Biosept Active. This agent immunizes plants against diseases and stimulates their growth, while the grapefruit extract contained in it has a bactericidal and fungicidal effect.
How to become confident in pruning plants?
If you are unsure how to cut or simply afraid to do it, the fantastic book "Cutting School" will help you.Thanks to it, you will gain confidence in pruning plants and learn to cut plants so that they grow according to your expectations. After reading this book, your approach to pruning plants will probably change completely!
