Perennial Pruning Time

Not sure what to do in your garden this time of year? Late Winter is the perfect time of year in Northern and Central California to prune your perennials--when the plants are dormant, before the new growth of spring.  Pruning maintains the health of the plant, regulates its size, keeps it from becoming etiolated (streched out), and will increase new growth and blossom production.  We just finished pruning the perennials at Love Apple, which was about a week-long process.

Tools you'll need for pruning include: a good pair of loppers, garden clippers, a garden cart or wheelbarrow, and a few pairs of helping hands.

Here, our farm apprentice, Ellen, is using loppers to cut back one of our perennial grasses to a mound at the base of the plant.

 

 

And here is the result:

 

With woody perennials, you start by identifying and removing the dead branches. Those are the ones that break when you try to bend them, and they can be cut off at the base. Next you usually want to cut back the perennial to a third of its original size, cutting above the node. 
This method can be used for salvias, hydrangeas, lavender, and many other woody perennials. Rosemary left alone will grow out of control, and its branches will become very thick.

 

Although it looks now like you are hurting the plant, come spring you will find yourself with a healthy, well-growing perennial garden.

 

Here are "before" and "after" shots of pruning one of our Penstemon plants.

Not only do the plants benefit, but our goats are really enjoying this project!

Here is a longshot of our driveway at completion. Although it looks bare now, we will soon be rewarded for performing this important garden task with healthy growth and beautifully blooming plants.

Attend a gardening or cooking class this spring at our new location in Santa Cruz and see the results for yourself!

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Keith Winkelman]

We've been very busy getting things in place for spring. Next big project is to redo the irrigation system from the old retail to the new commercial approach. Your class last year was perfect for this and I'll send pictures as we lay it out. Thank you for being the wonderful resource that you are to all of us!
Keith

[D Lieb]

Love Apple Farms has come so far over the past few years and I'd love to win a personal tour! Looking forward to buying my tomato plants this Saturday!!!

[Sally Large]

Just found your site and we are really looking forward to the summer veggie class. Your location photos are so beautiful - reminds me of home farm country up in Oregon.

[Love Apple Farm]

Hi Mary! My best advice is to follow what the biodynamic tenets are on crop rotation: split up your plantings into fruit, leaf, root and flower categories. So for example, since tomatoes are a fruit, then try to plant a root or a leaf crop next time in that location. Then after that, again a different type of crop. But if you can't, make sure you always take care of your soil. It's king!

[Mary McHugh]

The new farm looks beautiful thanks to your vision and of course,hard work. I had great results following your instructions for growing heirloom tomatoes. I'm beginning to prepare the beds for this year's crop (I live in Cape May NJ) and I wonder what you advise for rotating crops. I looked through the subjects you've addressed, but didn't find anything.
I took the composting and vermiculture class (my worms are flourishing!)and the irrigation class last year and hope I can get out there this spring for a class.
Thank you.