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Discuss pruning issues, get your questions answeredAbout Panicle Hydrangeas Panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) include PeeGee hydrangeas and ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas. Flowers on panicle hydrangeas are panicle-shaped (cone-shaped), in contrast to the ball-shaped mopheads or … [Read more]
Rejuvenation Pruning: What, Why, When and How
You may have heard the terms “rejuvenation pruning” or “renovation pruning” and wondered what it meant. What exactly is being “rejuvenated” or “renovated”? Basically, it involves cutting a shrub right down to the ground. That’s right – just whack … [Read more]
Shrubs That Can Be Cut To The Ground
Some overgrown shrubs can be cut to the ground and they'll grow right back (this is sometimes called rejuvenation pruning). Typically, these are fairly vigorous shrubs that produce flowers on new wood. But be careful - even some of the shrubs on … [Read more]
Late Winter Pruning Tips
Late winter is the ideal time to prune many types of deciduous trees, shrubs, and vines. However, the trick is knowing which ones to prune now and which ones to leave until later. Here are a few general guidelines to help you prune the right thing at … [Read more]
Five Questions to Ask Before Pruning Anything
Pruning is an acquired art. It takes practice but, most of all, it requires an understanding of what you’re doing and why. That’s what our course, Pruning With Confidence, will teach you. But even if you don’t take the course, these five … [Read more]
Recommended Books About Pruning
There are a lot of books that try to teach you how to prune - some with more success than others. Here are our top recommendations to help you learn more about pruning. American Horticultural Society Pruning and Training, by Christopher … [Read more]
Tree Topping: What, Why and Why Not
What is Topping? Topping is the practice of drastically cutting back all of a tree’s larger branches at a random point to make them shorter. The result is a tree with large, stubby branches sticking out in all directions. Effects of Tree … [Read more]
How to Identify Deadwood
It can be hard to tell if a branch is dead or just late in producing leaves or flowers. Deadwood doesn’t suddenly turn a different color or put out a sign saying “I’m done. Please prune me.” So how do you know what’s truly deadwood and what’s … [Read more]
Why Late Winter is the Best Time to Prune
If you had to pick one time of year to prune, the best choice would be late winter. Now I know there are exceptions (like removing dead, damaged, or diseased stems at any time, or removing suckers and watersprouts in late summer), but there are … [Read more]
Five Reasons to Prune Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas generally need very little pruning. However, there are times when a good prune will be helpful. Here are 5 reasons to prune hydrangeas. Damaged and Diseased Stems. Always prune out damaged or diseased stems. Many hydrangeas that bloom … [Read more]