Caring for the garden in the fall is important to stimulate flowering. Let's discover the trees, plants and creepers to prune in September
Caring for the garden in the fall is important to stimulate flowering. Let's discover the trees, plants and creepers to prune in September
Summer is coming to an end, the days are starting to get shorter and autumn is getting closer and closer; this is the perfect time to complete some pruning work. If you have evergreen shrubs, hedges, and trees to prune to keep them looking perfect throughout the winter, now is the perfect time to go gardening.
Trimming the plants will prompt them to produce new growth. At this time of year, it will be much slower, but these new shoots need enough time to ripen before the cold. (Read also: Time to prune the faded roses! Techniques and tips to do it right)
Index
Shrubs
- shrubbery that bloomed in spring or early summer, they needed to be pruned in July or early August. This year's stems will produce next year's flowers, so pruning now risks having nothing next year. However, shrubs that are flowering now can be pruned as soon as flowering ends, as can some fruit bushes. Here's how, cut a third of the plant, removing the older stems just above the bud near the base of the stem.
Abelia
Young plants of Abelia they require no pruning after planting, other than removing dead or damaged stems. In mild areas, where there is little risk of winter damage, it can be pruned after flowering in late September or early October.
Reduce congested growth by cutting one out of three stems that have produced flowers in a new shoot, close to the ground. In cold areas or after particularly severe winters, much of the growth may have been damaged by frost, in which case it is best to cut all the shoots close to the ground during the month of May. This is also the best way to rejuvenate old or neglected plants; an alternative is to cut one in three flowering stems each year (starting with the oldest) for a period of three years.
Lonicera (shrubby honeysuckle)
There is still time to prune the shrubby honeysuckles, like the popular Lonicera. Evergreen hedges should be pruned by removing about half of the new growth each year until the desired height is reached. Subsequently, the hedge must be pruned in May and again in September.
Even the hedges of Prunus laurocerasus, that is Cherry laurel, will benefit from a pruning this time of year, but the advice is to prune with scissors, as leaves cut with wire cutters can quickly burn and turn brown. Then cut the individual branches just above a leaf to stimulate a neater finish.
Rose
prune roses
In this period it is also good to prune the withered roses by removing the withered flowers with a pruning called late summer to give the plant the opportunity to delight us with a new flowering. However, the summer pruning of withered flowers is not mandatory and is recommended above all for rose plants and large-flowered rosebushes. (Read also: Time to prune faded roses! Techniques and tips to do it right)
Deciduous trees
As a general rule, deciduous trees, i.e. those that lose their leaves in autumn or winter, should not be pruned at this time of year, except for birch. Being an abundant sap producer, cutting birch trees in spring and summer causes a lot of bleeding, so now is the perfect time to shape young trees by removing any lower branches.
Birch
Le birches they need a few regular pruning, but when they are young it is a good idea to cut the lower branches to leave the lower trunk bare. As previously mentioned, pruned before August it can "bleed" profusely, but if pruned in September the sap flow is slowed down; now is absolutely the best time to intervene on birch.
Carpinus (hornbeam)
The trees of hornbeam deciduous they are best pruned during late summer, as they are prone to bleeding if pruned in spring or early summer. Most hornbeam trees form an attractive, well-balanced canopy even without intervention, so they require no pruning other than the removal of cross or wind damaged branches. For the care of young trees, remove the lower side branches, so as to gradually raise the canopy as the tree grows. The hedgeson the contrary, they should be pruned in July to keep them clean and attractive all summer long.
Chilean fire bush (Embothrium)
Grown for its vivid bloom of bright red flowers, the Chilean fire bush requires little to no routine pruning, other than removing dead or damaged stems. However, if left on its own it will form an attractive multi-stemmed shrub tree, so to create a single-stemmed tree specimen you will need to prune it to shape it. And this is the right time of year to do it.
Remove everything but the main stem, and then continue pruning any sucker shoots produced in subsequent years. You will need to dig a hole and cut the suction cup at the base with shears, or cut it with a swipe of a sharp spade. Any routine pruning of unruly or haggard stems is best done after flowering in early fall.
Climbing plants
Jasmine (Jasminum officinale)
Il common jasmine o Jasminum officinale is a very fragrant climber, which should be pruned after flowering during late summer. That's how:
- try to create a structure of well spaced branches on the support
- twin stems bloom early and create good cover
- once well rooted, cut off any shoots that have bloomed by pruning a side shoot or a bud near the base.
Common jasmine tolerates harsh pruning, so neglected plants can be reinvigorated by cutting less than 50 cm (about 20 inches) from the base. (Read also: How to grow jasmine in pots and in the garden)
Common honeysuckle (Lionicera)
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Most honeysuckle they are deciduous and should be pruned after flowering during late summer, while i evergreen Japanese honeysuckles (Lonicera japonica) should be pruned in early spring. Once the honeysuckle has reached the top of its stand, tilt the shoots to encourage sideways development.
Well established plants can become excessively congested if not pruned, so you'll want to thin out flowering shoots by cutting the new lower side shoot by about a third. Neglected plants, on the other hand, can become a heavy mass of stems if not pruned regularly. The advice is to reduce the number of main stems, first removing those placed awkwardly or crossed; if you want a thorough cleaning, i deciduous honeysuckle they respond well to pruning in winter.
Passiflora (passion flower)
To make the most of the passiflora (Passiflora caerulea) and to make it grow luxuriantly you will need to prune it carefully. Try to create a permanent branch structure that produces a succession of flowering side shoots. After planting, cut the plant to about 30cm to encourage flowering.
On pergolas and archways, cut out all the side shoots, or simply cut off the shoots that have flowered and fruited within two or three buds from the plant's permanent structure. Replace old specimens with vigorous young plants instead of drastic pruning.
Pileostegia viburnoides
Pileostegia viburnoides is a beautiful plant to put in the garden; it is a evergreen creeper native to northern India belonging to the Hydrangeaceae family. If it expands a little too much, though, you can safely remove entire branches all the way to the main stem at this time of year.
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