JUNE SERVICE HIGHLIGHT: SUMMER PRUNING

By Frank Stewart, Landscape Manager

What is the minimum amount of times you can come out to my house with the maximum effectiveness?

We’ve been asked this numerous times over the years. We could easily visit a site 5, 6, 7 times or more throughout the seasons with maintenance in mind and achieve noticeable improvements each time. However, I think that a minimal landscape maintenance program should consist of:
(1) Dormant pruning
(2) A really good spring clean-up that includes fertilization (Marvin’s 8-3-3), pre-emergent weed control (corn gluten or ControlRoll) and mulching.
(3) A round of summer pruning.

This month we would like to discuss some of the benefits of summer pruning. They include:
--Improvement of appearance by removing unwanted long shoot growth
--Saving water and nutrition for more desirable growth
--Removing spent blooms often encourages new flowering
--Improving air flow and reducing fungal problems
--Tip pruning increases plant density
--Many summer-blooming shrubs should be pruned right away after flowering, where dormant pruning will remove flower buds.

Opposed to dormant pruning where we are establishing the shape of the plant, summer pruning is more about maintaining the shape of the plant. While you are in the beds pruning, this is also a great time to eliminate weeds that escaped the early season pre-emergent control by physically pulling or by treating with a horticultural vinegar product such as Burn-out. It’s especially important to attack thistles before they can go to seed. If we can help you with your summer pruning or if you have any questions, please contact the Landscape Department at Marvin’s Organic Gardens.