Mole's Corner

Readers' Questions On Gardening And Nature

Dear Mole:

My gardening ardor fell away rather quickly last fall, and I'm afraid that, of several tasks ignored, I left my pruning shears untouched. Is it wise to take them up again now?

To tell you the truth, I am intimidated by the task, having harsh memories of my mother attempting to cut my hair in a straight line across the bangs and clipping crookedly ever closer and closer to the crown of my head. What if I mangle my plants? They'll be out there for all to see. On the other hand, there are a couple of shrubs that are clearly in want of a shape and a snip.

What shrubs can I safely prune now? And how?

Just Call Me.... No Edward Scissorhands

Dear Scissy:

Toughen up and grab those snips. Though there are tomes on the subject of pruning, which can get rather fussy when roses, espaliers, and topiaries are involved, you can safely prune shrubs and vines if you keep just a few points in mind.

A pruner's objective is to rejuvenate a plant, encouraging bushier growth or increased bloom. Think in terms of "opening out the center" of the plant, removing old, weak or diseased growth as well as any branches growing inward or down, or that rub on other branches. Lower branches, which receive less light, tend to die or become diseased more easily, and should be easy to see now, before leaves obscure them. On climbing plants, cut back side shoots, leaving five or six buds, which will encourage strong, new shoots and keep the plant well-shaped.

Up to a fifth of older wood can be cut from a shrub, to within a few inches of the ground. Keep your eye on the big picture, and remember, it's not nice to mess with Mother Nature. Follow the basic shape of the plant as you cut, and err on the side of caution.

As for the pruning schedule, by rule of thumb the time is when plants are dormant. Pruning time for flowering plants is dictated by whether they form blooms on new wood, grown this season, or on stems from the last growing season.

Shrubs that flower on old wood, such as lilac, forsythia, quince, azaleas, rhododendron, weigela, and climbing roses, should be pruned just after flowering, before new buds begin their growth. (As for mountain laurel, also an old-wood flowerer, Mole bets the deer will do your pruning.)

Rose of Sharon, trumpet creeper, abelia, clethra, buddleia, and viburnum, to name just a few that flower on the current season's growth, can be pruned in very early spring or now, provided the buds that produce new stems have not yet begun to swell. Check carefully your particular variety of hydrangea and clematis; both have members of each of the above categories.

Don't be afraid: hard pruning can result in fewer flowers but they will be bigger, and the plant's overall health will increase. Hard pruning of plants with vibrant-colored stems, such as the red-twigged dogwood, will bring more of those colorful young stems that spark up your winter yard.

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