Cool weather in North Florida often inspires gardeners to grab the pruners and “clean up” the landscape. But, winter pruning should be selective and intentional. The right cuts can improve plant health, structure, and flowering, while pruning the wrong plant at the wrong time can reduce blooms or increase cold damage. Timing in winter is crucial. Many plants slow down or go dormant, which can make it easier to see branch structure and remove limbs. Some plants benefit from dormancy pruning, because it can help reduce pest and disease pressure and prepare plants for a strong flush of spring growth. However, getting lopper-happy too early can trigger tender new growth to emerge that becomes susceptible to late-freeze injuries.
Hand saw cutting a tree branch. Photo taken 05-01-20.
So, what is safe to prune currently? You should stick with dead, diseased, or damaged trees or shrubs. These cuts improve plant health overall and reduce placement for insects and pathogens to lay waiting during the winter months. Deciduous fruit trees often benefit from a winter haircut as well. Trees that drop their leaves, like plums, apples, and pears will benefit from winter pruning by opening their canopy for light and air and encouraging stronger spring flushes.
An illustration of the pruning structures. On the left is the open center training system and the right is modified central leader. Photo rights: http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/pruning/pruning-deciduous-fruit-trees.html
There are a few plants you should leave alone until the spring. Many spring flowering shrubs like azalea and camellia should be left until spring. This is due to their late winter blooming patterns and should be pruned right after their flowering window. Tender, cold-sensitive plants and evergreens that you are not trying to shape should also be left until the warmer months.
Overall, timing matters when considering cleaning up your landscape during the temperate months. The best pruning principles are knowing why you’re pruning (removing dead wood, etc.) and not removing more than about twenty-five to thirty percent of the live canopy in one growing season. Making correct, angled cuts to promote healing of the pruned areas is also very important to promote growth to come back to the plant.
Winter pruning in North Florida is not about “tidying” everything at once, it’s about timing and purpose. By being selective of what you are cutting and when to leave plants along, you will set your landscape up for healthy growth and beautiful blooms this spring.
Q. My oleander shrubs are overgrown. How severely can they be pruned?
A. Oleanders flower on current season’s growth. So, if you prune just before new growth occurs, you’ll still get flowers. However, severe pruning (removing 1/3 or more of the plant), may result in the oleander not flowering for several years. Pruning severely causes a plant to put all of its energy into recovering the lost growth at the expense of producing flowers. But sometimes the need to severely reduce a plant’s size overrides the need for flowers. Oleanders can grow to a height of 10 to 20 feet with a spread of 10 to 15 feet.
Q. I have a holly bush that has grown too large. Will it recover if I prune it way back? I also have large azaleas that I trimmed back last year but they’re overgrown again. Can I trim them back severely again and have them recover?
A. Hollies and azaleas generally respond well to severe pruning. And they probably will recover. But, as you’ve experienced with your azaleas, plants are designed to grow to a certain height. When you prune to reduce their height, they will regain the growth, again and again. So, you may have a regular job on your hands in pruning these plants every year or so to maintain the desired height. To prune for the sake of reducing the height may result in fewer berries in the case of the holly, if it’s a female plant, and fewer flowers in the case of the azaleas. Eventually, you may decide to remove these overgrown plants and replace them with smaller maturing ones.
Consider replacing junipers that routinely grow over sidewalk instead of pruning to force them to fit. Credit: Larry Williams
The best time to severely prune, sometimes referred to as hard pruning (removing 1/3 or more of the height), is late winter (late February to mid-March), just before new growth occurs. When a plant becomes too large for its location, the problem goes back to planting the wrong plant in the wrong place. The plant is only doing what it is genetically designed to do. It’s a good idea to find out how large a plant grows (both in height and spread) before planting it. To plant a plant that is designed to grow ten feet in height where you need a plant that only grows three feet in height can result in having to routinely prune to “force it to fit.” Sever pruning is usually only a temporary fix as the plant still has the same root system it had prior to pruning. As a result, it usually will regrow to become in balance with its root system. Some shrubs such as boxwoods, junipers and arborvitae do not respond well to severe pruning.
Blueberry flower buds are formed at the cane ends.
When, how, and if you prune your blueberries depends on your goals and how you want to manage your plants. Pruning is usually done to control plant height, open up the canopy, and remove older canes that are less productive. Blueberry canes form flower buds starting from the upper ends of the stems. As plants grow taller, the best berries develop higher and higher. Lower, shorter canes will still produce fruit, but the upper canopy can shade them, leading to fewer berries within easy picking height. Rabbiteye varieties common in the Panhandle can reach 20 feet (7 m) if left unpruned. Some gardeners like leaving the upper berries for birds while harvesting the lower fruit for themselves, while others prefer to prune plants shorter to keep berries within easy reach.
Blueberry plants can be pruned at two main times of year:
After harvest (summer): This is the time to reduce plant height, but it must be done soon after the last berries are picked and before fall, when flower buds form inside the stems. If you wait too long, you risk cutting off next season’s flowers and losing fruit. After summer pruning, it’s a good time to apply an acid-loving plant fertilizer to encourage new growth.
Once buds are visible, it’s too late to prune for height without losing berries.
During dormancy (winter): In winter, you can remove dead, damaged, or old unproductive canes to open up the canopy and allow for new growth. Avoid removing more than 30% of the total canes in a single year. Winter is also when fruit thinning can be done. If there are too many buds on the plant, the berries may stay small. By selectively removing canes, the plant can produce fewer but larger berries.
Pruning can be an important management tool, but it isn’t mandatory. If you choose to prune, make sure to do it at the right time for your goal- whether it’s controlling height, encouraging bigger berries, or simply refreshing older plants. See the chart below for a seasonal guide to pruning and fertilizing blueberries in the Panhandle. Pruning and Fertilizing Handout Download
Pruning is often needed on a tree or shrub to help maintain a healthy and safe plant. Learn how to remove a branch on a tree or shrub with UF IFAS Extension Escambia County.
Crape myrtle trees are often aggressively pruned each winter regardless of the location. Learn three steps from the University of Florida IFAS Escambia Extension to selectively prune your crape myrtles to maintain an attractive tree form in your landscape.
Though the calendar says November, the weather in Northwest Florida is still producing summer or at least spring-like temperatures. The nice days are wonderful opportunities to accomplish many of those outside landscape chores. But, it is also a good time to start planning for next month’s colder temperatures. Since we don’t experience frozen soil, winter is the best time to transplant hardy trees and shrubs. Deciduous trees establish root systems more quickly while dormant; versus installing them in the spring with all their tender new leaves.
Remove an inch or more for extremely rootbound trees.
Here are a few suggestions for tasks that can be performed this month:
Plant shade trees, fruit trees, and evergreen shrubs.
Do major re-shaping of shade trees, if needed, during the winter dormancy.
Check houseplants for insect pests such as scale, mealy bugs, fungus gnats, whitefly and spider mites.
Continue to mulch leaves from the lawn. Shred excess leaves and add to planting beds or compost pile.
Replenish finished compost and mulch in planting beds, preferably before the first freeze.
Switch sprinkler systems to ‘Manual’ mode for the balance of winter.
Water thoroughly before a hard freeze to reduce plants’ chances of damage.
Water lawn and all other plants once every three weeks or so, if supplemental rainfall is less than one inch in a three week period.
Fertilize pansies and other winter annuals as needed.
Build protective coverings or moving devices for tender plants before the freeze warming.
Be sure to clean, sharpen and repair all your garden and lawn tools. Now is also the best time to clean and have your power mower, edger and trimmer serviced.
Be sure the mower blade is sharpened and balanced as well.
Provide food and water to the area’s wintering birds.
Mowing a lawn. Photo Credit: University of Florida/IFAS
