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Pruning at this time can make a big difference in the quality of your fruit and the shape, health and lifespan of your tree or shrub.
Published on July 13, 2024 • Last updated 5 hours ago • 5 minute read
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Honeysuckle Vine: A climbing plant that produces beautiful, fragrant, unique flowers and sweet nectar. Minter Country Gardens
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Pruning garden plants in summer may be even more important than traditional dormant pruning in winter. Pruning in the cooler months minimizes stress on the plant and prevents leaf burn. Vines in particular tend to overgrow during this time of year and require extra care. We love the privacy and unique accents they provide, but they often don't know when to stop. Summer-flowering vines, such as clematis, honeysuckle, trumpet vine, and wisteria, should be encouraged to send out new stems for future blooms, but they can quickly take over the allotted space.
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Most of us are too conservative in our pruning techniques and we need to realize not only the importance of leaving the flowering stems, but also that other branches will soon start to regrow and therefore need to be pruned hard.
Wisteria, especially repeat-flowering varieties like Blue Moon, need thick, woody vines to produce flowers, but you can say goodbye to most of the new growth that comes from them — a balance that suppresses much of the vigorous growth while allowing future flowering stems to develop.
Early-flowering clematis such as alpina, macropetala and montana need older mature growth to produce spring buds, but again, only limited quantities are needed.
Don't be gentle with non-flowering climbing plants, especially Virginia ivy and Algerian ivy, which are too timid and will soon rampage over any wall, trellis or arbor you've allotted them.
We rarely use grapes as ornamental vines because we place too much emphasis on the fruit. Whatever their role, grape vines require regular care. When pruning, be sure to leave enough foliage so the fruit clusters don't burn in the heat.
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Wisteria vines produce beautiful, fragrant blooms one after the other. They require staking and regular pruning. Minter Country Gardens
Many kiwi varieties grow so quickly that it can be hard to keep up with their growth, so when pruning, be sure to leave enough foliage to protect the small fruits of the Kolomykta varieties and the large, bushy fruits of the large-leaf varieties.
The shade-loving climbing hydrangea, Hydrangea petiolaris, and its close relative, H. schizophragma, rarely grow out of control, but growth should be kept in check by cutting back vigorous growth while leaving enough shoots to support next year's buds that are forming now.
Unfortunately, honeysuckle vines are highly susceptible to many fungal diseases and attract aphids, especially during the rainy summer months. Because they flower on new shoots, heavily pruning diseased or infected vines will help them stay cleaner and flower again sooner.
Many fruit trees, especially peaches and nectarines, grow a lot during this time of year. When pruning, you need to take two things into consideration: leave enough branches around the fruit to prevent sunburn, and remember that the most fruitful branches are those that have grown 45-60 centimetres during this growing season. When you start pruning your peaches and nectarines, remember to leave enough branches that will reach this length of growth. At the same time, don't forget to remove branches that clutter the tree and cast shade on the fruit.
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Porcelain Vine: A woody, deciduous vine that grows up to 25 feet long. Minter Country Gardens
Apples, pears, Asian pears, and plums are also full of new growth right now, and the trees will increase in size, probably much larger than you would like. The goal is to train the branches to be level, which will not only allow more shoots and branches to form, but also control the size of the tree. This will open up the center of the tree, allowing better air circulation and more sunlight to reach the tree, helping the fruit ripen and develop new branches and flower buds.
The popular espalier tree form, where branches are guided along a fence line, also requires pruning to maintain this unique shape. When pruning the more-upright parts of the horizontal trunk, try to leave at least one or two nodes, where branches often grow and bear fruit. It is important to maintain the integrity of the tree's form while encouraging new fruit-bearing branches to grow into the future.
Summer is one of the best times to prune your Japanese maple to keep it at a good size and in the shape and form you desire. The good thing about summer pruning is that the tree has the ability to quickly regrow with new growth. In winter, some branches do not regrow. This is often due to a disease called anthracnose. Pruning is very important because even a small weeping tree can grow much larger than the space it can tolerate. It also brings a positive change to the profile of each tree in your yard.
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Flowering shrubs also need care at this time of year, but great care must be taken to avoid pruning next year's buds. The golden rule is to prune all flowering shrubs immediately after they have finished flowering, allowing them enough time to set next year's buds. In summer, most flowering occurs on the new shoots, but a light pruning after flowering will help the plant maintain its shape. In spring, you may need to prune the plant further to give it the size and silhouette you prefer. Even larger flowering shrubs can be pruned and shaped in summer to keep them balanced.
What concerns me is that I have a lot of older varieties of macrophylla and mophead hydrangeas that grow quickly and get large, and need to be pruned before the end of July to allow enough time to put out new growth and buds next spring.
Most evergreens can be pruned now, especially in early July when many conifers take a break from growth. Junipers, cedars, yews and cedars all need summer pruning, while spruces, pines, firs and Japanese pine should have been pruned earlier, around the time of candle and bud break last year.
Pruning at this time can make a big difference in the quality of your fruit and the shape, health and lifespan of your tree or shrub.
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