Spring Pruning Guide: What To Cut Back and What To Leave

I meet a lot of gardeners on a daily basis who mention they aren’t the biggest fans of spring pruning. I, on the other hand, take spring pruning religiously. 

If you were searching for a spring pruning guide, today’s your lucky day!

In this article, I’ll be walking you through a list of plants that you probably should cut back in spring as well as leave behind to allow for proper growth. Let’s dive right into it! 

What To Cut Back In Spring

Dead Or Damaged Branches

If you have trees or shrubs, like fruit trees or hydrangeas (that bloom on old wood), in your garden that grow very dense, consider thinning them down by removing dead or damaged branches.

These dead branches can limit air circulation around your plants and attract fungal diseases, which you don’t want. 

Trim them in the springtime and dispose off the waste wood somewhere far from your garden. 

Summer-Flowering Shrubs (Prune Before New Growth)

If you have some summer-flowering shrubs, like butterfly bush orpanicle hydrangea, you ideally want to prune them around spring before new growth begins. It doesn’t need to be a very heavy, complete prune; some light pruning from the top should do the job. 

Be diligent with it though and make sure not to delay this trim any longer than the end of spring or else you may cut off new growth. 

Perennials That Died Back In Winter

Since spring comes after wintertime, certain perennials like peonies, hostas, and daylilies have already died back and may need manual removal. Small pruning shears are more than enough for a task like this. 

It’s a good idea to remove these dead perennials as they may attract fungal diseases and place unnecessary stress and burden on your plants. 

Overgrown Shrubs & Hedges

If shrubs and hedges are let loose and allowed to overgrow, they can quickly begin to look very untidy and unkempt. This does nothing but ruin the overall aesthetic of your garden and give you a bad rep as a gardener. 

In the springtime, trim these overgrown shrubs and hedges to give them a neater look. Long, poking branches should be chopped off and proper shape must be restored. 

Roses

Cutting back roses in the springtime serves the same purpose as cutting back any perennial or shrub. It removes dead or damaged wood that can weigh your rose plants down, allowing for stress-free growth and optimal plant health. 

Since rose branches aren’t that big or dense, use a pair of sharp pruning shears to trim off deadwood and weak stems to encourage strong flowering. 

What NOT To Cut Back In Spring

Spring-Flowering Shrubs (Prune After They Bloom!)

Well, as the name already suggests, spring-flowering shrubs bloom in spring, so pruning them while they bloom definitely isn’t the best idea. You’ll of course end up damaging the delicate blooms and could even negatively affect the overall health of your shrubs. 

Forsythia, lilac and azaela are some examples of spring-flowering shrubs. Stand down on the pruning while the shrubs bloom. Wait till after they’re done blooming to trim them down. It’s a lot safer and more logical to do it this way.  

Early-Blooming Bulbs

Pruning early-blooming bulbs like daffodils and tulips in spring can take a toll on your plant’s overall health and energy reserves. Impatience will kill your plants faster than anything else ever would. 

Instead, wait till the foliage naturally fades to prune early-blooming bulbs. In most cases, springtime weather and temperature isn’t even ideal for pruning them and they can end up in quite a terrible place if pruned too early in the season. 

Ornamental Grasses

The ideal time to cut ornamental grasses is usually late winter. However, if you missed the opportunity to trim around that time, spring definitely isn’t the next best option. 

If you really have to trim your ornamental grasses for some reason, consider doing so early in the season but try your best to avoid cutting into any new shoots. 

Trees That “Bleed” Sap If Pruned In Spring

Trees like maple, birch, elm, and walnut that “bleed” sap if pruned in spring ideally shouldn’t be pruned in this season. 

It can stress them out and cause excessive sap drainage, which isn’t ideal for tree health. Sap loss can also weaken trees, making them more vulnerable to harmful pests and fungal diseases. 

Conclusion

As much as I enjoy spring pruning, I know that there’s a risk of something going terribly wrong. Small mistakes like pruning too early or late in the season can cause your plants irreversible harm, leading them to a very bad end. 

Remember to keep your pruning shears sharp and eyes wide open when pruning in spring. Pair this with having some knowledge about what to trim and what not to trim during this time allows you to mitigate substantial risk.