They give structure to the outdoor area,ensure floral splendorand bear delicious fruit: The bushes fulfill many functions in the home garden and are an important design element for many hobby gardeners. Proper care guarantees that the trees will delight the eye for years to come. This also includes caring pruning in spring. In today's article we will explain to you how to prune the bushes and why it is so important.
Cutting bushes: when and how?
The bushes are divided into different groups. Depending on the purpose they serve in the home garden, there are ornamental bushes, fruit bushes, climbing bushes and hedge bushes. The ornamental shrubs are also divided into spring and summer bloomers. Below we take a closer look at the different groups and give tips regarding the cut.
Cut summer-flowering ornamental shrubs in February
Summer-flowering ornamental shrubsare traditionally cut in spring. On the one hand, because they need severe pruning in order to sprout again and form flowers. And such a radical cut is legally permitted until the end of February. On the other hand, because this means the plants have enough time until the start of the season to recover, sprout again and form flowers.
Cutting fat hen:The fat hen is a good example of a summer-flowering shrub. Their old shoots including the inflorescences dry up after the end of the flowering period. However, it is not advisable to prune in autumn, as the fresh cuts make the trees more susceptible to frost.
Cutting buddleia:The buddleia also belongs to the group of summer-flowering plants. It is cut back vigorously in the spring down to two pairs of eyes. The shrub grows quickly and lushly and therefore needs to be thinned out every 2-3 years. The shoots that are at the bottom, are weak and produce few flowers are completely removed.
Cutting hibiscus:The garden marshmallow is also only cut in spring. Above all, it is given a shape cut; if necessary, it can also be thinned out. To extend the flowering period, you can cut off the withered flowers in summer. However, you should stop doing this from the end of August so that the plant can prepare for the coming autumn and winter. Young shoots suffer frost damage and if cut back in autumn the entire plant could die.
Cutting beard flower:The beard flower also needs to be cut back heavily in spring. Very important: Remove dead or frozen shoots including flower buds.
Cutting bushes:It sometimes happens that frost-sensitive shrubs freeze completely in winter. Or that old bushes no longer produce flowers. In these cases, radical pruning is a final attempt to rejuvenate the shrub. All shoots are cut off close to the ground. The shrub won't bloom again this year, but hopefully it will bloom next.
Prune spring-flowering shrubs
In contrast to summer-flowering shrubs, which only produce flowers after being pruned in autumn or spring, spring-flowering shrubs have already set their buds in winter. Therefore, pruning should only be considered after the end of the flowering period.
Cutting fruit bushes: This is what you should keep in mind
Fruit bushes also need to be pruned annually so that they produce abundant yields.
Cut raspberries, raspberry bush
The red andblack raspberriesrequire severe pruning. Theright time for itis in autumn, after the end of the harvest season. Spring is an alternative, ideally mid to late February.
Cut currants correctly
The currants require vigorous pruning in the fall after the end of the harvest season. Anyone who missed this point has a second chance in the spring. Red and white currants are given a rejuvenation cut. This means: half of the main shoots are cut above the first “eye”. In contrast, with the black currant only the canes that are at the bottom and the shoots that are weakened and do not produce any yield. Pruning the main shoots is much more gentle: they are cut off above the third branch every two or three years.
Pruning bushes: blackberries
For blackberries, only the old canes are cut off every year. The young shoots will produce flowers and then bear fruit in the coming season. The young shoots are easy to recognize: they are not yet woody and are light green in color.
Climbing Shrubs: Pruning Vines
In contrast to the other fruit-bearing shrubs, the vines are necessarily cut back in autumn.
When to cut hedge bushes?
It is also best to cut the hedge bushes in spring, and then perhaps just give them a topiary cut in the spring.
Cut dwarf shrubs
The dwarf shrubs are specially bred varieties with a compact growth habit. Most dwarf shrubs are ornamental plants, although there are also fruit-bearing varieties. When each type of dwarf shrub is cut depends closely on the flowering time. Summer-flowering shrubs can be trimmed in February. Spring-flowering species and varieties are cut after the end of the flowering period. Below we list two examples.
Cut summer heather
The summer heather is a compact dwarf shrub that reaches a height of 40 cm. Theright timefor a caring pruning is the end of February. The summer heather is thinned out and the heavily woody and dried shoots are cut off. A deep cut is out of the question.
Cut finger bush
In contrast to the summer heather, the crab is one of the spring bloomers that is trimmed after the flowering period. The shrub cana strong pruningtolerated without any problems, but this is not legally permitted in spring. Therefore, only the flowers are cut off after they have faded.
