thenewbranchescreatedovertheprevious summer. If the shrub is expanding beyond its bounds, thinning cuts around the base of the plant will help to get it under control. Heading cuts will create more branches for bud set and blooms for the next year. Prune these plants early in theseason,asthiswillencouragethemtoput outnewgrowthoverthecourseofthe summer. Forsythia (Forsythia intermedia) is one of the first shrubs to bloom and a good example of howmuchgrowthashrubcanputoninone season. Thriving shrubs may even need a secondpruningattheendoftheseasonto thetreemayhealmoreslowlybutpathogenic tametheabundanceofsummergrowth. organismsanddiseasearealsosloweddown. Whileyoumaylosesomeblooms,itis Avoidpu�nganykindofhealingointmentor importanttotrimsomeofthelongerarching wounddressingonthetreeasthatwillcreate branchesastheycangrowlongenoughto awarmandmoistbreedinggroundfor touchthegroundandgiveanunruly pathogens. appearancetotheshrub. Several other spring blooming shrubs and WhentoPruneShrubsandSmallTrees raspberries grow long stems, called canes, Whilethereareasetofguidelinesforpruning that in one season can touch the ground and that dependontheshrubortreeinques�on, start to root. If le� alone, they will establish a there are o�en also excep�ons to consider. newplant(that’showraspberrythickets Hydrangeas,forexample,seemtosparkmany happen)andtakeovermoreofyouryard. differing opinions on when or if they even Thoserooted�psofshrubscanbedugupand require pruning at all. Some cut them back at planted in a more desirable place, or simply theendoftheseasonsotheygrownewand g n dugupandcomposted.Orevenbe�er,po�ed i fresh the following year while others swear by m r a upinaverypre�ypotandgiventoafriendas F only trimming off dead canes and using e l b auniqueandpersonalhousewarminggi�. a thinning cuts only when necessary for shaping n i a t s theplant. u S g Whenpruningbackspringbloomingshrubs, n i t r o take off about 1/3 of each branch with a p p Spring Blooming Shrubs and Small Trees u S headingcut.Makesurethecutisjustabovea If you wait un�l late summer to prune spring- budthatispoin�nginthedirec�onyouwant flowering shrubs or ornamental trees, you will thebranchtogrow. Bytheendofsummer, cut off most of the buds for next year’s spring theshrubwillhaveproducednewgrowthto display. Spring flowering shrubs form buds on 12 www.rogitex.com