Plants to Prune in April
April is an exciting time in the gardening calendar. When spring weather arrives, conditions are more conducive to spending time in the garden doing important pruning jobs.
While winter pruning means multiple layers and cold fingers, spring pruning can be a much more enjoyable experience. This month is also a great time to trim common shrubs and perennials in your borders, as you may have many plants for spring pruning in your backyard.
Prune your shrubs in April to clean them up and be busy adding to your garden as you can plant a lot in April. While there may be a lot of work vying for your attention this month, make sure you keep pruning off the top of your to-do list.
1. BOXWOOD
Boxwood shrubs are commonly found in backyards as hedges or as ground cover plants. They are not fast-growing plants, but benefit from regular pruning to keep them in shape and promote healthy growth.
Any boxwood pruning will want to take place after the danger of frost has passed in your location. Pruning in the spring allows for the removal of old yellow boxwood leaves – often the result of overwintering – and gently shapes the bush. The result will be a neater plant and pruning will stimulate healthy new growth of stems and leaves.
2. CHAENOMELES
Chenomeles, also known as flowering quinces, are deciduous winter flowering shrubs that produce dazzling blooms during the cooler months of the year in winter and early spring. Depending on your location, plants should be pruned from late April to May, after flowering. This annual trimming keeps the plant healthy and guarantees better displays next year.
It is important to wear thick gardening gloves and long gloves as this is a shrub with spiny stems that can cause you damage. Prune weak or crossing stems, along with dead, diseased and damaged stems – they can rub and create entry points for disease. To revive an old bush, you can remove some of the old branches every spring, but observe the rule of pruning a third and do not take too much.
3. HYDRANGEA
Hydrangeas are low-maintenance flowering shrubs that benefit from annual pruning. Many varieties of hydrangeas require pruning in late winter or early spring, so April is ideal for many gardeners.
Popular hydrangea varieties such as mophead and lacecap hydrangea are pruned at this time, however, don't make the hydrangea pruning mistake of pruning climbing varieties that need to be pruned after flowering. Do your research before trimming to make sure it's the right time to prune your hydrangea. Old flower heads left on the bush should be removed above a pair of buds and dead, damaged, diseased, thin or weak stems should also be cut. If your hydrangea has started to outgrow its space, you can also remove selected large branches.
4. PENSTEMON
Penstemons are wonderful late summer flowers because their brightly colored flowers are great pollinators. They are known as plants that attract bees, while tube flowers also attract hummingbirds.
Penstemons are hardy in US hardiness zones 4-9 and should be pruned once danger of frost has passed. It is better to leave the old leaves in the winter, as this protects the growing buds from the cold. As soon as you see new growth appearing at the base in early spring, prune the penstemon back above those new shoots – taking care not to damage the emerging growth.
5. PHOTINIA
Photinia are popular evergreen shrubs that are commonly used as hedging plants, but also as specimen shrubs for your backyard ideas. There are many types of photinias to choose from—and while many are great plants for fall color—they don't always require extensive pruning. Trimming is minimal and primarily for shape and size.
Pruning in early spring can help maintain shape, especially since many photinias are fast-growing shrubs that can quickly become too large for an area. April can be a great time to trim the height and refresh a photinia hedge, or to keep the shrub compact and prevent it from dominating a space.
6. RIBS
Ribs are called flowering currants and are another early-blooming shrub that should be pruned after flowering. Depending on your location, it will bloom in April and will benefit from a little trim to keep it under control.
Plants in development flowered earlier in the season, so pruning after flowering encourages the growth of lots of new stems to carry next year's flowers. All stems that have flowered this year should be cut to a healthy pair of buds to create a strong and open structure. To rejuvenate old canes, up to one-third of the oldest canes are removed completely below ground level.
7. VERBENA
Perennial verbena benefits from early spring pruning. If you grow verbena, you may be tempted to prune in the fall, however, as old seed heads can provide food and shelter as part of the winter garden, this should be a chore for the spring gardening checklist.
Cutting back old stems in spring helps shape the plant and encourages new growth from the base of the plant. The reward is an elegant look, a bushy plant, and a great display of flowers come summer. When frosts are over and you see new green shoots at the base, cut back old and woody stems to a few inches off the ground.
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