Pruning Tips from the Pros!
Pruning should only be done certain times of the year, depending on the needs of each species. For a general how-to, see our rule-of thumb guide below.
After pruning your trees, shrubs, perennials and more, make sure to fertilize them with the proper food (Holly Tone, Plant Tone, Garden Food, Chicken Manure, etc..) and give them a boost with nutrients such as Ironite.
Flowering shrubs – the general rule of thumb is to prune after their flowering period is over. You may trim up to one third of their height and width.
Trees- the best pruning time is January and July.
Roses- For Grandifloras and Hybrid Tea Roses,the best time to prune them is in the early spring and when you prune them you should cut them back to the third outside bud.
With Climbing Roses, you hardly will prune them since most bloom on old wood, so be careful!
For Shrubs roses including Knockouts, a light pruning in the early spring is ok. By light pruning, just take off the dead wood, broken branches and winter burned spots.
Evergreens can be pruned in the early spring up to one third of their size so they can recover with new growth during the growing season.
Perennials should be cut back in the early spring. Leaving them during the fall time not only allows winter covering and warmth, but also allowing you to remember where things are. You can cut those to the ground as spring approaches and their new growth gets ready to grow.
Grasses should be cut back in March and to the ground. Grasses are a warm season plant and also a three season (summer, fall and winter).
