If you are lucky enough to have a garden, then you need to know that there are some plants and trees that have to be pruned in May. Doing this will ensure that you get more blooms and coverage all through the summer months. Read on for more information.
Summer Plants to Prune
For homeowners looking to ready their gardens for the summer ahead, cutting or pruning back certain plants will encourage strong growth in addition to keeping them in shape. Cutting back tulips after they have bloomed is strongly recommended. Just cut the stem back to its base to ensure more blooms in the next growing season.
Lavender is another plant that you can cut back at the end of May. By doing this, you will encourage more growth right through the summer months. When it comes to pruning the likes of shrubs and hedges, before you do anything, take a look inside these plants to make sure there are no active bird nests, as this is the time of season when they lay eggs.
How to Prune
If you are unsure of how much to take off plants like bluebells, clematis, bay trees, and herbaceous perennials, then follow this easy rule of thumb: never remove more than a third of the plant or you run the risk of killing it. Taking off too much will send the plant into shock and could prove to be fatal.
The best tool to use when pruning flowers or plants is pruning shears, also referred to as secateurs. They are hand-held and are capable of cutting stems and branches that are ¾ of an inch in thickness. Loppers should be used when cutting branches or hedges, as this gives the user more room to get to awkward angles or into tight corners.