Summer is a great time to get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine. While you’re outside, take advantage of the warm weather to do some gardening! You can prune many plants in early summer. By taking care of your plants now, you’ll help them stay healthy and look their best.
Here are five plants that you should prune in early summer:
Table of Contents
Shrubs
Lilacs
Pruning lilacs in early summer is a great way to encourage new growth and keep your plants healthy. By removing dead or diseased branches, you allow more sunlight and air to reach the inner parts of the plant. This encourages new growth and helps to keep the plant vigorous.
Summer pruning also helps to shape the plant and control its size. If you have a large lilac bush, pruning it back in early summer will help keep it from getting too big.
St. John’s Wort
This hardy perennial herbaceous shrub is known for its showy, yellow flowers blooming in summer. But if you want your St. John’s wort to look its best, summer pruning is a must.
St. John’s wort is a fast-growing plant, and summer pruning will promote even more new growth. This means more flowers and more green leaves for your plant!
As St. John’s wort grows, it can get a bit unruly. Pruning early on in the season will help to keep your plant looking neat and tidy.
 If you don’t want your St. John’s wort to take over your garden, summer pruning is a good way to keep it under control. Regular summer pruning will prevent the plant from getting too big for its space.
Flowering Perennials
Garden Phlox
Pruning garden phlox in early summer is a great way to keep your plant healthy and vigorous. By removing spent flowers and leaves, you allow the plant to direct its energy into new growth. This will result in a fuller, lusher plant that is better able to resist disease.
Early summer pruning also encourages branching, which results in more flowers. So not only will your plant look better, but it will also produce more blooms!
Yarrow
Yarrow is a beautiful, hardy perennial that blooms from summer to fall. It’s easy to grow and is tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions. Yarrow is also an excellent plant for attracting bees and other pollinators.
Pruning yarrow in early summer fosters new growth and helps to keep the plant compact and bushy. It also helps to prevent the plant from getting leggy and floppy.
Pruning yarrow is a simple task that doesn’t take much time or effort, but it can make a big difference in the appearance and health of your plant. So, if you’re looking for a way to keep your yarrow looking its best, early summer pruning is definitely worth considering.
Fall Perennials
Garden Mums
Pruning garden mums in early summer may seem a bit strange, but you should do it for several reasons. First, your mums will be fuller and healthier.
Secondly, to help prevent pests and diseases from taking over your plants.
And finally, if you don’t prune your mums in early summer, they will likely become leggy. They will produce long, thin stems with few leaves or flowers. Pruning will help prevent this from happening.
If you live in a colder region, do your pruning by early July. This will give the plants plenty of time to produce new growth before the cooler temperatures arrive.
Pruning Guide
Follow these steps for summer pruning:
- Cut off any dead or diseased branches.
- Cut back any branches that are growing out of control.
- Thin out the plant so that there is room for air to circulate.
- Prune about 1/3 of the plant each year, so it does not become overgrown.
- Fertilize after pruning to encourage new growth.
- Water regularly during the summer months to keep the plant healthy.
In Summary
Now that you know which plants to prune in early summer, it’s time to get outside and start gardening! Make sure to do your research before you start cutting any foliage, though. Not every plant needs a summer haircut!
If you have any tips or tricks for gardeners out there, let us know in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you. Happy gardening!
