Spring Pruning

Okay, Nashville’s winter has been pretty darn good. These bright sunny days are a great time to get out and do the things that need to be done. We get questions about pruning every single day at our garden center, and we want to give you some directions before you get outside with your hedge trimmers.

TWO THOUGHTS ON PRUNING:
• Know why the plant is being pruned and what your goal is before you start
• Time your pruning properly. The wrong timing will result in no flowers or fruit.

SOME REASONS FOR PRUNING:
• Train the plant to a desired form or special garden form (i.e. topiary)
• Control the plant size
• Protect people and property
• Maintain plant health
• Remove dead or dying branches
• Remove branches that rub or are starting to grow through the center mass of the plant
• Remove unwanted suckers and water sprouts
• Remove branches injured by disease or severe insect infestation
• Rejuvenate and restore old plants
• Ensure the quality of flower, foliage, and stems
• Encourage flower and fruit development
• Maintain the density of a hedge
• Delay the bloom time for landscape plantings
• Encourage a second bloom on some plants by deadheading

IMPORTANT: Keep it clean! When removing diseased wood, clean your tools after each cut by immersing cutting blades in rubbing alcohol or wiping with a Clorox wipe.

For more information on pruning hydrangeas, click here.

FAQ: Why does my Manhattan Euonymus have yellow spots?

"I have a hedge of Manhattan Euonymus that gets unhealthy yellow spots on the leaves every year. Why is this?"

Turning the leaves over, you may well find little flat whitish jobs on the underside. You’ll be looking at the males of Euonymus Scale. The brownish females are lurking nearby on the stems. This is an extremely common pest of euonymus. The scales suck sap out of the leaves, producing those lighter spots. Severe infestations can produce a lot of leaf drop. The pest doesn’t often kill a plant as vigorous as Manhattan euonymus, but it can make it pretty ugly.

The most effective sprays are horticultural oil, which suffocates the insect, and insecticidal soap, which kills by destroying the insects’ protective covering. Complete eradication is difficult as it’s almost impossible to cover every surface of the plant. In desperate cases, heavily infested branches can be cut out and destroyed, or the entire plant can be cut down and allowed to resprout if it’s not too late in the season.