References to “new” or “old” wood are common when it comes to pruning.
And understanding which is which is key, because pruning the wrong type can ruin that or the next year’s flower show or fruit harvest.
This is because some trees and shrubs fruit or flower on new wood, and some on old.
If you prune at the wrong time, you cut off the parts that are forming that will produce the blossoms.
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Of course, when a tree is damaged or sick, timing doesn’t matter. Just cut that bad stuff off, no matter how old it is. Otherwise, timing is everything.
The first step is figuring out which type you have. Next, you have to determine what the new and old growth looks like so you know what to trim.
Sometimes the newer stuff is easy to distinguish, and the older growth is as plain as day.
Other times, it’s a bit more challenging. Let’s prune through the details to figure it all out. Here’s what we’ll go over to do that:
All perennials will have both old and new growth, and proper pruning relies on knowing the difference.
Most species fall firmly into one or the other category. However, some plants defy categorization.
Hydrangeas, spirea, and roses need to be addressed on a case-by-case basis, but you can make some broad generalizations.
Summer spirea blooms on current growth, while bigleaf hydrangea produces flowers on the previous year’s parts.
But some modern hydrangeas bloom on both, and the same goes for clematis.
Before we jump in, familiarize yourself with the basics of pruning if you aren’t already familiar with the general process.
Old-Type Species“Old wood” is kind of a
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