Pruning Is Key To Maintaining A Good-Looking Garden

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- There are more to flowers and shrubs than just planting them -- you have to keep them looking good too.

Susie Bachman from Bachman's says pruning is the key to keeping plants flourishing all summer long.

Bachman said she typically get three questions from people asking about pruning: what plants should be pruned; when they should prune them; and what tool should be used for the job.

For annuals and perennials, pruning serves as a dead-heading function and helps maintain the shape of the plant. You can use an old by-pass pruner to shave off old flower heads, or pull off dead blooms.

A flowering shrub can be pruned right after they're done flowering. You can use a by-pass pruner or a hedge sheer for that job.

Evergreens can also be trimmed to help maintain their shape. Plants that have 'candles' -- or longer, new vertical growth -- can be trimmed halfway down the candle.

An evergreen with a flat needle should be trimmed with a hedge sheer to keep the shape under control.

Bachman also says as a general rule, if the plant blooms early; prune it later in the season. And if the plant blooms later in the summer, then it needs to be pruned early in the spring.