Spring Pruning

Our gardeners prune in late March and early April. Plants such as Clematis, Roses, and Hydrangea are all pruned once they begin to bud. This helps us know where to remove dead parts and where to cut.

Shrub Roses
Most shrub roses can be cut down to size and thinned. Begin by removing dead stems, then cut old and diseased looking stems. Trim long stems just above a live bud to keep them at the right length.

Rambling Roses

Cutting Rambling Roses back hard can help to control their vigorous growth. Remove dead and old stems down to the ground, trim long young stems to about 2-3 feet, and just above a live bud.

Vine Roses

Vine Roses grow best when branches are tied horizontally to a structure. Cut out all dead parts and tie stems to the structure. Cut out older stems if there are too many stems to tie.

Clematis

Clematis can be cut fairly short. If new growth is present on the stems, shorten them to about 1-3 ft length. If new growth comes from the ground, cut the old stems to the ground.

Hydrangea

Old fashioned hydrangeas generally bloom on old growth stems, while some produce flowers on both new and old growth. Prune on the side of caution if you do not know how your hydrangea blooms and keep all live stems. Cut back all dead stems to the ground and trim the stems if you want the shrub shorter, keeping at least 4-5 buds on them.

We usually keep the perimeter stems shorter and the central stems longer. The shorter stems can provide support to the longer ones with heavy blossoms.

Hydrangea paniculata

The paniculatas can be cut hard to help control their shape, and thinner stems can be cut almost to the trunk or the main stem since they bloom on new growth.