If your forsythia and other spring blooming shrubs need to be pruned, now is the time. (C) Fotolia
In the last few days, several people have complained about the lack of flowers on their big leaf hydrangea, lilac, viburnum and forsythia.
When queried, they say they pruned these plants last fall as part of the seasonal cleanup. These and other early flowering shrubs bloom on year-old growth. That means that late last summer, these shrubs developed this year’s flower buds. If they were pruned then, this year’s flowers were removed.
Pruning is a perplexing problem for those who think they have to prune. Unless the garden is extremely formal with shrubs sheared into pyramids, balls or tabletops, it’s best to allow these plants to be themselves. There are fewer chores when plants take on their natural shapes, such as a fountain or vase, or they may have a strong vertical or hortizonal forms.
If we take into account a shrub or tree’s mature height and width when we buy and plant it, we also reduce or eliminate pruning chores. If the mature size is six feet wide and tall, that means the shrub needs at least three feet on all sides and a six-foot top clearance.
Plants may need to be pruned to clean up dead or errant branches. If spring flowering shrubs have to be pruned, do so within four weeks after they bloom.
Mother Nature rules
Many of us got overly confident with the early warm temperatures and had already planted tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and basil outdoor when the recent frost hit central Indiana. Impatiens and geraniums also had been planted. These food and ornamental plants are extremely sensitive to the cold.
The chance of this late season dips in the thermometer are why the general rule for planting most vegetables and annuals in Indiana is: Mother’s Day.