The winter season could be an ideal time for sophisticated garden care, with certain trees even being easier to prune in December. Late fall is actually the right time for pruning for most deciduous trees and shrubs, but not for all plant varieties. Below, discover some useful information that can help you get this gardening job done.
Why cut some trees in December?
Typically, removing dead, diseased, and damaged wood helps prevent the spread ofDiseases and infections in treesand bushes. In addition, the appropriate structure can complement the tree's natural growth habits. This allows the plant to bear a full fruit load. Opening the inside of the tree to sunlight also helps with the development of flower buds and more even ripening of the fruit. Air similarly needs to be able to move through garden plants or else moisture will build up, which can spread disease. For some winter dormant varieties, pruning can be quite useful for these purposes.
Dormant pruning should occur before buds begin to swell, which is easily done during the winter months. Most tree diseases also go dormant in the winter, limiting their spread. Additionally, many garden plants can benefit from winter pruning, although it is important to do it in the right way at the right time of year. The main goal of winter pruning is to promote vigor so that fruit trees are productive and shrubs do not outgrow their space. So this is the time to cut back flower bushes like roses and clematis, or reshape fruit bushes and trees. Before you start, it is advisable to prepare yourself with a few simple steps.
Basic winter pruning tips
Remembering these few basic rules will help you stay safe at work and achieve better results:
- First make sure your garden tools are likePruning shears sharp and well-maintainedis. A clean cut causes less damage to the branches and heals faster, so your plants are less likely to be affected by disease or frost.
- Work slowly and step back often to see what you've done and assess what still needs to be removed.
- Be careful when working at heights. It's a good idea to have someone else with you when using a ladder to prune your trees in December. Try not to take any risks. If the work is too involved, you should contact a professional tree surgeon.
Once the leaves have fallen, the structure of a plant is easy to see. By following these steps on some of the key plants that need pruning, it's easy to get started. While plants are dormant, it is also a good time to perform a refreshing pruning to revitalize certain plants that may become large and unproductive, such as viburnum or mahonia. However, some types of plants should be cut back in spring, while others are best left until summer or fall. Below are some of the most common varieties in the garden that are suitable for winter pruning.
Cut grape vines as trees in December
Grape vines are woody, deciduous plants that exude sap or “bleed,” so to speak, when pruned. If this happens to cut stems, it can weaken the plant. Therefore, it is important to prune vine plants in mid-winter when they are deep into dormancy. Other plants that bleed when pruned include maple, birch and fig. Prune in December or January by cutting back to a main rod or arm extended vertically along the supporting wires.
Prune raspberries that bear in the fall
Every year from autumn to late winter, cut all autumn raspberry shoots to within 5 cm of the ground. This encourages them to send up fresh new stems that will bear fruit next fall. If you don't want the canes to grow too quickly, you can use trellises with wire to tie them to.
Clematis (Clematis) of cutting group 3
Group 3 clematis bloom in midsummer. Prune such plants in December or February by cutting the plant to within 4 inches of the ground to remove long, old growth and encourage strong flowering shoots. Cut hybrid plant varieties back to ground level before new growth emerges. Most other clematis groups require only light tidying up after flowering.
Cut wisteria (wisteria) as a tree in December
Wisteria should be pruned twice a year, in December and again in the summer, to keep it in check and encourage flowering. In winter, cut back all side shoots to three or four buds. Then do this after the summer flowering by cutting back all windy shoots to 30 cm.
Prune fruit-bearing shrubs properly
Fruit bushes, including blueberries and blackcurrants, as well as gooseberries and redcurrants, should also be pruned in winter. As a general rule, you should remove some old wood from the bushes each year to create a cup shape and leave behind healthy young branches that will produce bountiful harvests in the years to come.
Pruning rose bushes in winter
Shrub and climbing roses should be cut back heavily in late autumn or winter to promote healthy growth, flowering shoots and abundant flowers in summer. Many types of roses can be easily pruned in the winter, including noble roses, hybrid teas, shrub roses and of course climbing roses. However, the latter should also be cut in late summer, but can be renewed in winter. The general rule is to cut back thin, weak stems the most and thick, strong stems the least. Try to keep such plants between 15cm and 45cm tall, depending on the original size of the plant and your preferences.
Cut apple and pear trees as trees in December
Tree species such as apples and pears could even be pruned from November to mid-March to promote fruit production. Pruning, accordingly, helps obtain a good harvest by directing energy into the remaining buds. It's best to try to create a wine glass shape with evenly spaced branches extending from the trunk in a circle around a hollow center. Cut off all shoots at the base and remove dead, diseased or crossing branches. However, do not prune stone fruits such as cherries or plums in winter because they risk being infected by a fungal disease called silverleaf. Instead, prune such trees in early or mid-summer.
Prune ornamental trees in late fall or winter
Even on deciduous and ornamental trees, remove smaller branches from November to March to create a clean, bare trunk at least 90-120 cm high. Accordingly, also trim the branches that impede access or block mowing. However, do this carefully and thin rather than cutting off the entire canopy.
Cut back deciduous trees in December
You can also prune deciduous trees in winter, especially those that grow too large for the space allocated to them. In addition, such a refreshing cut revives such plant varieties that can become large and unproductive, such as wig bushes, barberries, flowering currants and magnolias.
What else to do in the garden in Decemberfind out here.
