Hi everyone ! I have this ten year old Weigela that is growing beautifully by a walkway . Some of the branches are taking over the walkway . Is it okay to cut them back at this time of the year ?? It's hard to get in the house . :) I'm in NE Indiana z5 . I would would really appreciate your input !
Thank you ! Rosie z5
My wife gets tired of me telling her that it is the wrong time of year to prune/transplant/plant/buy/whatever. About a month ago, mid-summer, she decided to tackle our weigela which had grown to about
10 feet across with runners and vines reaching out 20 feet or more.I keenly observed the look in her eye and kept my opinions to myself.
Soon the crashing and snapping and cursing commenced. The curses must have come from the weigela because my lovely wife does not use such language.
I stayed out of sight in case someone had to call for re-enforcements. Every now and then I would peak around the corner of the house to see if there was still movement. Seeing my wife's work boots under the plant and observing the flying vegetation I figured that she was holding her own.
A couple of hours later the weigela looked presentable, a mere shadow of its former self. The wife was a smiling mess but she scrubs up pretty good.
Yup, that was the right time.
John - also in zone 5
I liked it, well worth reading! Grump
-- grumpy
Wisterias should be pruned twice each year (a) to ensure plenty of flower bud, and (b) to keep this vigorous climber under control. Both of these operations should be carried out each year. The only shoots to be left 'unscathed' are those which are required to extend size or direction of the plant. Late Summer Pruning: (Now!) Cut all of the current side-shoot growths back to within 12" of the main lateral. This allows more sun to get to the wood, encouraging flower-bud formation. This should leave 4-6 leaves on each side shoot. Obviously, any side shoot required to extend or train the framework should be left and trained as required. Winter Pruning: February: Cut these summer-pruned side shoots back even further - 1 or 2 inches long, leaving only 2 or 3 buds on the side shoot. These will be the flowering spurs. It should be possible now to distinguish the plumper flower buds from the slimmer growth buds. Long, whippy shoots that grew after the summer pruning should also be pruned. Cut these back to five or six buds from the main branch, making the cut just above a bud. Remove any suckers that appear at the base of the plant. HTH
The "right time to prune" is whenever you can't get into the house, don't you think?
Sure, it would be better if you could wait until the plant is dormant, but really you have to prune when you have to prune.
Cut back just as much as you need to now, and address a more thorough pruning just after the first frost.
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