| MASTER GARDENERS | EVENTS | SEASONAL TOPICS | GET ANSWERS HOME |
| GARDENING BASICS |
FRUIT, VEGETABLES & HERBS |
TREES, SHRUBS & VINES |
LAWN & TURF |
HERBACEOUS ORNAMENTALS |
INSECTS, DISEASES & WEEDS |
WILDLIFE IN THE GARDEN |
PLANT YOUR LANDSCAPE |
| Summer Pruning When we consider pruning, we naturally think of early spring. This is appropriate for the most part, because removal of branches on a plant is best done after winter cold has abated and before the plants leaf out. This helps prevents excessive weeping (sap flow from the wound) and allows time for wounds to heal during the summer months. However, there are practical reasons for completing some minor pruning during the summer. Pruning may be needed to remove damaged or diseased branches that were not apparent during the spring. There may also be a need to remove branches with winter injury, something that does not become visible until warm weather arrives. For some shrubs, pruning may also be needed to remove spent flowers to encourage the growth of new blossoms. Fruit trees can be pruned to remove some fruit in years that fruit set is excessively high. This will result in larger fruit and help prevent alternate bearing, the tendency for fruit trees to grow fruit only in every other year.  One of the main reasons to prune shrubs and trees in the summer is to control size. When pruning is done only in the spring, trees and shrubs tend to sucker where old branches are removed. These new branches grow rapidly and if left in place result in overall increased size. Removal of these new branches during the summer helps a tree or shrub to remain small in stature and more compact in shape. It will also decrease the amount of pruning needed during the next spring.
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