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Pruning in August
Keep Your Garden Blooming and Magnolias Healthy
August is a busy month for pruning, especially if you have evergreen hedges or fruit trees. It’s also your last chance to shape wisteria and promote flowering next year.
Plants to Prune Now
- Remove spent flowers and shape plants as growth slows.
- Cut back variegated evergreens to remove green shoots.
- Prune bay trees to shorten stems.
- Deadhead summer bedding plants like zinnias.
Avoid Pruning
- Don’t trim back ivy, as it will produce valuable nectar for pollinators.
- Wait until winter to prune grapes heavily.
- Prune roses in winter or spring, except for ramblers.
- Hold off on pruning pelargoniums for a month if you want to propagate them.
Step-by-Step: Pruning Deciduous Magnolias
Magnolias don’t need much pruning, but it’s important to do it correctly to avoid unsightly growth or bleeding sap.
Step 1: Remove dead, dying, or diseased branches.
Step 2: Cut off suckers sprouting from the base of the tree.
Step 3: Gather up prunings and compost smaller shoots and leaves.
Other Trees to Prune Similarly
- Birch trees (prune in autumn)
- Acers (prune during the dormant season)
