Prune in spring, prune in fall and now, prune in June? Do you ever wish nature was more organized so you could do all your landscape pruning at once? But be patient. Remember that flowering plants need pruning soon after their blooms fade, and you’re not going to be happy if they all bloom at once.
So let’s get back to the basics of pruning: if you love spring flowers, you should embrace pruning in June. Many spring-blooming shrubs bloom on old wood, setting their buds the previous year.
These plants finish flowering in June and should be pruned shortly after flowering in the spring. Pruning in late summer or later will remove flower buds, reducing next spring’s blooms.
Pruning Tips
First, let’s take a refresher course on some of the basics of pruning. Individual plants may have specific pruning needs, but these general rules provide a good framework for approaching pruning at any time.
- Never prune with dull tools. If your pruners or scissors need cleaning or sharpeningbe sure to complete this before starting the June cut. Our team of gardening experts recommends these bypass pruners from Felco, available on Amazon, for clean and easy cuts. Dull or dirty tools can damage branches and cause disease. Keep your pruning shears sharp with a Corona sharpener, also available from Amazon.
- Whether you prune in spring, summer or fall, the first step is to cut off all dead, damaged or diseased branches. (If you happen to see a problem branch between pruning dates, you can pull it off the bushes whenever you see them.)
- Once destroyed, branches and the mockingbirds are goneit’s time to do the rest of the trimming. There are two basic types of cuts: back cuts and thinning cuts. Return means to shorten a stem to reduce its length by cutting it to a bud or larger branch. Thinning cuts is to remove large stems, often to clear the inner branches.
- Prune for shape and size.
1. Lilac
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My lilac bush they are in full glory in May, the blossoms filling the patio with their wonderful sweet fragrance. Mine is a lacy white, but you can easily find lilac with flowers in purple, magenta and even green. They only last a few weeks, but you’ll be dreaming about them for the rest of the year.
Common lilac bushes are deciduous shrubs that can be considered shrubs or small trees, exceeding about 15 feet (5 meters). They need a full sun location and well-drained soil.
How to prune lilacs in June? They bloom on old wood, so you’ll want to cut them back when the blooms fade. Don’t skip the pruning! It is necessary to thin the inner branches to encourage air circulation and avoid powdery mildew, as well as to shape the bush. Cut about a third of the oldest branches back to the ground.
2. Forsythia
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Daffodils provide the first yellow of spring, but forsythia bushes sometimes they bloom first and often come almost neck and neck. These deciduous shrubs explode into yellow flowers in early spring before the leaves appear on the bush. These early blooms serve as magnets for pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
Easy to maintain and drought tolerant, forsythia are versatile in the garden, working well as specimen trees (with their graceful arching branches) and in privacy hedges.
How to prune forsythias in June? Once your forsythia flowers have faded, trim these bushes to prevent them from looking bloated. The key here is to shape the bushes to keep them compact and attractive. You can remove a quarter of the oldest branches (cut them to the ground) to encourage new growth.
3. Serviceberry
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i call it serviceberryyou can call it juneberry, but both refer to the same attractive deciduous shrubs. They offer beauty in all four seasons: white spring flowers, ripe berries in summer, fiery foliage in autumn and interesting bark in winter.
I always call the fruits of the serviceberry bush, but they really are applesin the same family as apples and pears. They are edible, eaten fresh or in jam, and if they love wild birdsthe more dish bushes you plant, the more buzzes and tweets you’ll hear.
Now serviceberry “bushes” can become cervillea trees if you’re not careful, shooting up to 25 feet. One of the main reasons for spring pruning is to prevent this from happening. Additionally, the shrub often produces multiple trunks, so if you want the look of a small tree, you’ll need to do some pruning. The best moment? Immediately after the flowers fade.
4. Weigel
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Gardeners love weigela bushes for their lovely spring flowers, lots of tiny tiny blossoms in white, lipstick red or any of several shades of pink. Their foliage is lush and maintaining them won’t make you work overtime.
In late spring or early summer, weigela flowers cover the branches to delight hummingbirds and butterflies, adding even more color to the landscape.
These easy-care plants are good specimen plants. Many types offer variegated foliage, dark leaves or golden leaves, a factor that gives them garden appeal all summer long.
Weigela bushes bloom on old wood, so if you want to prune, do it in June, right after flowering. While the shrubs have a pleasing natural form, they can grow tall (up to 10 feet/3 meters) and wide (up to 12 feet/4 meters) if left to their own devices. Weigela plums back and remove any damaged or diseased stems in June.
5. Magnolias
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Hectare magnolia trees the queens of southern gardens? There are more than 200 species of Magnolias, ranging from very tall to shrub-sized, some multi-stemmed shrubs, others huge upright trees.
Asian magnolia trees are deciduous and their sparkling flowers appear in the spring before the tree leaves. The flowers are white or pink and appear very early in spring and many species are intoxicatingly fragrant. The leaves are large and leathery.
These amazing plants are – unfortunately – susceptible to fungal diseases, so pruning is important to improve air circulation and keep them healthy. Prune the magnolias to cut diseased and damaged branches after the plants stop flowering in June.
6. Mount Clematis
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Mountain clematis it is on the list of every gardener’s favorite vines. It is a woody perennial twin vine that is easy to grow in sun or partial shade. It can climb to 40 feet (19 meters) in height with a spread of 15 feet (5 meters).
The flowers of the vine – in blue, pink and purple – are star-shaped and fall on the vine, filling the garden with a vanilla-like aroma. He draws bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
Prune mountain clematis in June after flowering has stopped. This timing will allow the vine enough time to produce new stems and develop buds for next year. Waiting until late summer, fall or winter to cut back will drastically reduce next year’s flowers. The idea of pruning is different from other plants. You don’t want to force the vine into a certain shape, but rather keep it within its limits and encourage healthy new wood. Prune back dead or damaged stems as well, but don’t overdo it.
Basic pruning tools
These branches easily cut thick branches in trees and bushes.
WORKPRO
Cordless brush cutter
This easy-to-use handheld hedge trimmer makes clearing brush a breeze.
