Easy on the power shears
Having spent years on a pruning crew, the new girl was excited to show off her skills. Finally she got to prune. It was a nice change for her from regular finesse work, which is a nice way of saying weeding.
So, she fired up her power shears and went to it. When she got to a nearby rhododendron we stopped her. Puzzled, she moved on. And since she was gone before 2023 hit, she never got to see the picture below.
Pruning rules
What do you see? The left side is devoid of any flowers, which defeats the purpose of planting rhododendrons. The right side looks good because we stopped the girl before she could get to it. Now, I don’t want to see any sexist hate mail from my readers. I’m calling her a girl because she is a girl. And her pruning is fine. Except, pruning isn’t just the physical act. You also have to get the timing right; and that comes with study and field experience.
Here’s the point of this blog post. The rule for rhododendron pruning is to prune soon after flowering, before new buds set. If you don’t believe it, just look at the picture above. The girl pruned it well but, personally, I try not to power shear rhododendrons. She got the timing wrong!
This is why being a professional landscaper is exciting. There is always lots to learn. You have to know how to prune and when to prune. There are many other examples. One good one is Callicarpa. In summer it shoots out but its flower clusters are tiny, so it’s tempting to prune it back. Just be careful, because those tiny flower clusters turn into beautiful purple berries which persist late into the season, long after the leaves are on the ground. The berries are the reason why we plant Callicarpa so be careful. Of course, homeowners know their shrubs well so they freak out when the flowers go missing at mid-season.
Conclusion
Step one is to earn the plant names in your garden and landscape. Step two is to prune at the correct time. Rhododendrons should be pruned soon after flowering, before new buds set in.
Rhododendrons should be pruned soon after flowering, before new buds set in.
