Let’s Talk Pruning!
CONTAINED
BRILLIANCE
BRRR! It’s cold outside. How are you spending your time during these cold, dark, February days? A fair amount of my time has been spent indoors dreaming up future container plantings for spring, but I’ve also been kicking around my yard, lightly pruning my Diane Witch Hazel, bringing in the branches, and placing them in the darker corners of my home while enjoying their sweet fragrance. In a few weeks, I’ll do the same with my flowering Quince and Magnolia to extend my enjoyment of their bloom time indoors.
You too can bring in some pruned branches from one of your favorite spring-blooming shrubs in your garden, make a beautiful arrangement, and coax them to flower in the warmth of your home. Shrubs like Witch Hazel, Forsythia, Flowering Quince, Sarcococca, Magnolias, and Lilacs are all wonderful for this—they not only brighten up a dark winter day but add an intoxicating fragrance.
Timing Your Pruning for Indoor Flowering Success
The best time to prune for forcing blooms is late winter to early spring when the branches have plump buds. The upper branches of most shrubs, which get the most sunlight, will likely have the best flowering buds. These are the best candidates for cutting.
But pruning isn't just about forcing early blooms: it's also essential for plant health, shape, and aesthetics. There are many great resources on pruning best practices. One of my absolute favorites is Tree Pruning by Alex Shigo. For now, here are some basic guidelines to keep in mind when pruning your container garden plants and shrubs.
The Goal of Pruning
Knowing your goal for pruning will help you determine how to approach the plant. Ask yourself:
Am I pruning to force early spring flowers? Improve the health of the plant? Create a specific shape? Control its size? Keep it tidy? Ninety percent of the time, pruning focal plants in containers is a mix of aesthetics and plant health - helping them thrive while keeping them looking beautiful.
Where and How to Cut
Pruning is both an art and a science. There are three basic types of pruning cuts: reduction, removal and heading. Knowing where to cut and how each type of cut affects the plant's growth is key. Something all cuts have in common is that they should always be made right above a node—a point on a stem where buds, leaves, and branches are initiated.
- A reduction cut (drop-crotch cut) is used to reduce a plant's size by removing the portion of its lead branch to encourage a lower lateral branch to take over as the new main branch. The cut is made 1/4" above where the two branches meet (the crotch). The new lead branch should be thinner than but no less than 1/3 with of the branch being removed to be strong enough to take over.
- A removal cut (thinning cut) is a cut that entirely removes a branch, twig, or stem back to where it connects with another branch. It's your go-to cut for improving plant health. It promotes new growth in the existing branches, does not encourage bushiness, allows for light and air to reach the interior of a plant, and looks more natural. Cut out dead, weak or crossing branches back to where they connect with another branch.
- A heading cut is a cut made to the end of a branch, twig or stem. Heading cuts shorten branches by cutting just above a a bud or leaf node triggering the buds left beneath the node to break dormancy and become new branches. They can help control the size of a plant but overuse of this technique can create crowding and unwanted bushiness. Shearing, topping and pinching are all different types of heading cuts. It is not the preferred method of pruning for most shrubs and trees, as it can alter their natural growth pattern
Remove Damaged Branches and Thin Dense Growth
Unless trying to create density and a specific shape such as a pyramid, a great starting point is to remove broken, crossing, and overly dense branches. This creates a more open center to give the plant plenty of air circulation around its leaves and branches. If you have two parallel branches close together, removing one of them may look better and create better air circulation. You may also want to remove branches that seem to wing up, down or abnormally. Combining these tactics with removing low hanging branches up to 3/4" off of the ground helps to make an attractive base shape.
Plants with a mounding habit often have smaller leaves and softer branches. They are easily tidied up and reduced in size by making thinning cuts 2" to 8" below their current height. Removing unruly branches, dead wood and older stems at the base also helps rejuvenate this type of shrub.
Pro Tip! Approach pruning like a haircut. Start conservatively. Be thoughtful and selective. You can always take more off, but you can't put it back on. A good rule of thumb is never prune more than 1/3 of a plant at once.
When to Prune Container Trees and Shrubs
Timing matters! Knowing when a plant blooms is quite helpful. Typically, pruning right after a plant blooms is preferable. This allows the plant time to grow and set bud prior to the next flowering cycle. Pruning too late will result in a reduced number of flowers next season. For more detailed information on when to prune commonly used shrubs for containers, check out my pruning guide where I share a timetable of the most popular container garden focal plants.
Final Thoughts
Pruning is an essential part of plant care, and having the right tools makes all the difference. Over the years, I've narrowed down the tools that make pruning and container gardening easier. Click here for my recommendations.
Pruning helps your container garden plants look their best, and February can be a great month to give a little love to your containers. Have questions? Don't hesitate to reach out. I'm hoping with your new-found knowledge and pruning calendar that the hardest part of pruning will be stepping out into the cold!
