The summer is full of gardening tasks, and the to-do list often feels like it keeps getting longer and longer. Many plants benefit from being pruned in the warmer months, however, some should not be trimmed in the summer. Pruning is a task that keeps plants neat, healthy, and productive.
It is also a job to be done carefully, as different plants have specific needs and techniques - including the ideal times to prune and those to avoid. Some specific plants should never be pruned in summer and trimming them need not appear on your . Don’t make the error of pruning at the wrong time as it can rob you of a glorious flowering display or put the plants at increased risk of pests and disease.
There are many reasons to head out into your backyard with during the summer, including , and other stone fruit, and from tender perennials. You may have the best intentions in mind and think pruning will help and not harm the plant, but you would be making a by taking the garden tools to these plants during the summer. like , azaleas, and camellias, flower in spring yet impress year-round with their glossy foliage.
The best time to prune rhododendrons is in spring after they have finished flowering. Trimming at this time gives the shrub lots of time to develop new growth and they tend to set the flowers for next year by late summer. Pruning in summer diminishes the flowers you’ll see next spring.
The also warns that ‘summer pruning often results in lush sprouts that are subject to injur.
