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| I typically do major rejuvenation pruning in March/April timeframe. Rose of Sharon, Lilac, forsythia, etc.
Someone wants me to help them with this task now in their yard. How would plants react to that treatment this time of year? -- not counting the bloom cycle of course.
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Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Sat, Oct 3, 09 at 8:59
| why are you discounting the only real variable ... flowering shrubs are pruned.. right after bloom ... removing up the 1/3 of the largest branches.. as close to the ground as possible .... IF YOU WANT TO INSURE BLOOM NEXT SPRING ... OTHERWISE.. DO IT ANYTIME YOU WANT... KEN |
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| Ken, I advised otherwise, but some people want what they want... and ROS will not lose bloom. There might be other late bloomers there too. one of my concerns is if any new growth will be generated this time of year and induce dieback? For some of the plants, I'm not talking about removing stems on the 3-year plan (although some stems will be removed). I'm talking about the cut it down HARD method (1'-2') and let it regrow. To me that is a late winter/early spring approach, but I want to know if that is mandatory. |
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| I cut back my callicarpa dichotoma (purple beautyberry) back VERY hard in the very early spring (left no branches, really) and it came back better than ever. More berries this year than in many years. For azaleas, rhodies, etc., Ken is absolutely right. You will lose the blooms if you cut them back in the spring. I was told that hollies should be pruned in winter-which works out well for holiday decorating! Cynthia |
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| Cyn, that's the type of pruning I am talking about, but would you do it NOW in the fall? That's the question. Beautyberry is a late bloomer so there's no loss of flowers at stake. It is a good candidate for hard spring pruning. |
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- Posted by mad_gallica Z5 Eastern NY (My Page) on Sat, Oct 3, 09 at 15:23
| Syringa vulgaris doesn't usually bloom for a couple of years after being cut to the ground. If people have the time to do it now, go for it. Forsythia may or may not bloom the next spring. Like the lilac, it will be hard one to kill. ROS can be tricky. A hard winter can kill it off. |
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| Wendy, one of my concerns is if any new growth will be generated this time of year and induce dieback? To be certain to avoid this why don't you wait a few weeks so the lack of available daylight hours won't allow for new growth. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Sat, Oct 3, 09 at 18:17
| if your basic goal.. is to cut it down with the bushwhacker... lol ... and you dont care about bloom ... do it whenever ... 99% of SHRUBS.... arent really going to care ... they are just that aggressive ... as to the timing.. after the first good hard frost.. like i had 2 days ago in my z5 .... they arent going to resprout.. soon enough to waste all that much energy ... ken PS: i understood EXACTLY where you were going.. but your title describes 'rejuvenation' pruning ... said term... means the 1/3 deal ... not what you want to do ... I WAS TRYING TO CLARIFY SUCH FOR OTHER NEWBIES.. who might confuse the 'term'.. with your idea ... PPS: perhaps a better term for what you want to do would be: BEATING IT BACK WITH A STICK ....rotflmbo .... |
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| Wendy, I think Ken's right (so, what else is new?) that you should wait until after a hard frost or freeze. For the hollies and most others, I guess, I think the reason to wait is that you don't want them putting out new growth just to have a freeze kill it. |
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