Adding a new plant to your garden is a labor of love; you have to choose an ideal location in your yard where the plant can thrive, dig the hole, plant a,nd water it. As your plant grows and establishes, it may need a little pruning, but how do you know?
We’ve listed the top six plants that need to be pruned and a brief description of how to prune them, however, pruning is a specific process for each plant. If you want to make sure you’re doing it right, sign up for our in-person pruning class on February 26 from 1 -2 p.m. Led by our Director of Living Collections, Terry Huang, you’ll learn facts, terminology, and techniques that will help you confidently prune your plants at home to ensure your garden is thriving year after year.
- Roses: These classic beauties benefit from deadheading after blooms are spent during April through October and require seasonal winter pruning between January and February in Southern California. Depending on the rose variety, pruning may be a little heavier or just a gentle trim.
- Salvia: Sages are a large group and depending on the species, they will need different pruning regimes. You’ve probably seen Mexican bush sage growing at the end of the Promenade filled with hummingbirds. This commonly planted species benefits from cutting back to a few inches above ground level in late winter, which allows fresh growth to emerge for the new year.
- Fuchsia: The fairy-like flowers are absolutely gorgeous – and loved by hummingbirds – during the spring and summer months, but once winter approaches plants take a much-needed rest. To help give the plants a fresh start while keeping them bushy and more manageable, cut the plant back about a ⅓ of its size.
- Butterfly bush: These butterfly magnets benefit from heavy pruning in late winter, to encourage vigorous growth and larger bunches of flowers. These tough plants can be cut back nearly to the ground or shaped to maintain their size and shape.
- Lavender: The sweetly scented plant is pruned once a year just after flowering. Make sure to only cut above where new leaves have formed. Older wood loses the ability to resprout, so cutting into this portion can be risky.
- Fruit trees: Every tree is different (which is why we encourage you to join Terry’s pruning class) but here are the very basics. A great place to start is cutting out any dead, damaged, or diseased growth. Unwanted suckers (new branches found at the tree’s base) and water sprouts (perfectly vertical branches growing out of more established branches) can be removed at their base.
Need some more guidance? Sign up for the Pruning Class here.
