As the end of summer approaches, it’s time to give your garden some love. Pruning is the secret to a neat and healthy garden. This simply includes removing certain parts of the plant that might be damaged or diseased.
Three such plants that require pruning before summer ends include lavender, rambling roses, and wisterias!
So, if you grow any of these, keep reading to find out more about their pruning requirements.
1. Lavender
English lavender, also known as Lavandula angustifolia, is a vibrant plant that needs firm pruning in August. It’s best to trim back spent flowers and about an inch of the current year’s growth.
This encourages new growth and prevents the plant from becoming woody, but also helps keep your lavender in shape.
Some gardeners also have lavender hedges, and these should be pruned regularly. If you want to try growing one, make sure to check out this article: How To Make A Lavender Hedge: Helpful Tips And Benefits
2. Rambling Rose
The Rambling rose is the easiest variety that you can grow in the garden. It can get a bit messy since it produces long and flexible shoots, so a little pruning goes a long way.
Just like lavender, August is the perfect time to prune your Rambling roses. Trim back any spent flowers and remove any dead or diseased wood. For larger Rambling roses, consider thinning out some older branches to allow more light and air circulation.
Just make sure not to remove more than a third of your plant. With pruning, you will have bushier growth and more blooms next season!
3. Wisteria
Wisteria’s robust growth can sometimes become overwhelming, especially if not pruned properly. These plants should be pruned twice a year: first in August and then in January or February.
Trim back the long shoots to about 6 inches from the main stem. You can also count the buds – make the cut after the fifth bud on a long shoot. To keep things looking neat, you can also cut off any long stems that have discarded seed pods on them.
This encourages the development of flower buds and prevents excessive growth. A second, more thorough pruning can be done in winter to shape the plant and remove any tangled or unwanted growth.
You can simply add these removed pieces to your compost pile because they will decompose quickly and release nutrients to the pile.
For more information, check out this video: