With the arrival of April, nature awakens with strength and many plants – between trees, shrubs and climbing – begin their phase of growth and flowering. Precisely for this reason, it is the perfect time to devote yourself to accurate control of the garden: the winter cold may have caused invisible damage to branches and sprouts. A targeted pruning, in this period, not only stimulates the healthy development of plants, but also prevents stunted diseases and blooms. Let’s see together which species require the intervention of scissors in April to better face the spring season.
Trees
April is the ideal month to devote yourself to the pruning of some species of trees.
Dealbata Acacia (mimosa)
For young people Mimosa trees Proceed by pruning the lateral sprouts on the main stems. After that, you can proceed with the removal of growth damaged by frost, which is better to perform after late spring flowering.
Fruit trees
April is also the month in which most of the fruit treesgoing to remove all branches damaged by the winter cold. In particular, in this period the Drupacee as peach, plum, apricot and almonds.
Shrubs
The pruning of April also includes various specimens of shrubs.
Aucuba Japonica (spotted laurel)
It is the ideal time to prune the female forms of this popular, resistant and rounded shape. During the first spring after sowing, reduce the growth of about a third to encourage flowering from the base. Wait until midsummer to prune the spotted laurels that grew like hedges.
Callicarpa
Do not prune this shrub until the danger of frost has passed, but before the new shoots begin to break. For pruning, just cut the rebellious stems by removing them completely.
Camellia
Although the camelie They require little or no annual pruning, they can be cut in the spring after flowering to tidy up the disordered stems. You can also maintain small and compact bushes by reducing the growth of the previous year to a couple of gems. Old plants can be cut hard in spring, to encourage a new vigorous flowering from the base.
Even the most consistent branches can be reduced to a toilet structure of 60-90 cm in height. Keep all the plants at best by removing the dried flowers that remain on the arbust.
Calluna (Scottish Erica)
Keep the plants clean and tidy by cutting them with the shears after flowering is over, but before the new growth is interrupted. This is also the ideal time to remove any unusual growth and scattered shoots, as well as any dead stems.
Forsizia
There forsizia It blooms again until April, so pruning will still have to be performed towards the end of the month. Do not prune forsizia during the first years after sowing. However, the oldest plants that are not pruned become woody at the base where few flowers are produced; To avoid this, it potts at the end of flowering, cutting the oldest stems at the base.
Climbing plants
Someone climbing plants They must be pruned in April. Let’s find out together.
Passiflora (Passion Flower)
The best way to cultivate the flowers of the passiflora It is to establish a permanent structure of stems spaced by about 15-20 cm from each other on a robust support, such as a pergola or an arch, or a fence. During the first spring after sowing, select the strongest sprouts to tie to the support.
If you grow it on a pole, remove any side shoots. Every spring, you completely remove the growth damaged by frost. After flowering in late summer, cut the flowering sprouts within 2 or 3 gems from the structure. Neglected plants can be reinvigorated by cutting some older stems.
(Read also: Passiflora Viola, the plant capable of reducing anxiety and insomnia in just 30 minutes)
Solanum (potato screw)
This species must be pruned in early spring to thin out growth and limit the size of the plant. The oldest plants can be difficult to rejuvenate because they do not respond to severe pruning, for this reason it is good to proceed with the pruning at the most appropriate moment, avoiding to neglect the plants.
Which plants do not prune in April
In April, it avoids pruning plants that bloom in spring, so that it could compromise flowering. In addition, it is better not to prune shrubs and trees that begin to sprout, such as corniolo or prunus, since this can damage the new jets. In general, if a plant is starting to actively vegetate, it is better to postpone pruning in late summer or at the beginning of autumn.
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