Timing is key when it comes to pruning flowering and fruiting plants. Randy Forst, extension educator for consumer horticulture for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said late February is an optimal time to prune plants that bloom in the summer.

“In general, plants that bloom in the spring should be pruned immediately following blooming, and plants that bloom in the summer should be pruned before growth begins in late February,” Forst said. “Pruning encourages new wood growth and more flower buds, and roses and cane-producing plants especially benefit from pruning.”

Some plants, including big leaf hydrangeas, oak leaf hydrangeas and gardenias don’t follow this rule.

“These plants all bloom in the summer, but they set their flower buds at the end of the summer into early fall,” Forst said. “If you prune them before growth begins, you will not have flowers this summer. The time to prune them is when the flowers begin to fade.”

Forst, who also coordinates the extension Master Gardener program, said gardeners should research specific information about the plant they want to prune, as some plants do not need pruning at all.

“Some of the most common mistakes people make is pruning too intensely, especially when it comes to crape myrtles,” Forst said. “Instead of dehorning — or entirely removing the top branches of a crape myrtle — gardeners should instead selectively remove branches so that the tree maintains its height.”

Forst said the following plants need to be pruned at the end of February and in early March:

·        Ornamental grasses

·        Roses

·        Fruit trees

·        Blueberries

·        Blackberries, by removing old dead canes

·        Buddleia, also known as butterfly bush

·        Summer blooming spiraeas

In addition to timely pruning, Forst said pruning with the correct tool is important to a plant’s success.

“The size of material to be pruned reflects the best tool for the job,” he said. “Most of the time, it would be a bypass blade hand pruning shear. On larger branches, it might take lopping shears. On tree branches, it might require a bow saw. On any pruning device, it is very important that the blades are sharp, and you are getting a clean cut.”

Visit Arkansas Yard and Garden Pruning Resources, Spring Pruning Tips and Crape Myrtle Pruning for more information, or contact Randy Forst at rforst@uada.edu.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. 

About the Division of Agriculture

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system. 

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.  

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

Fruit and pecan growers who want to sharpen their pruning skills to enhance growth and yields can learn from the professionals at the Fruit Research Station during a half-day workshop on Feb. 28.

The station, near Clarksville, is home to much of the fruit breeding work done by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

The workshop begins at 12:30 p.m. with check-in and runs through 4 p.m. Space is limited to 100 people and attendees must register in advance. Registration is $20 and can be completed online at https://aaes.uada.edu/fruit-pruning-field-day-2023.

“We’ll cover the principles of pruning in blueberries, blackberries, muscadines, peaches and pecans, with hands-on demonstrations,” said Jackie Lee, director of the Fruit Research Station. “Now is the time to learn since most pruning should be done while the plants are still dormant. It won’t be long before spring comes and growth restarts.” 

The workshop will run five pruning stations, with 25-minute sessions running concurrently. Attendee groups will be able to rotate among the stations.

Agenda

• 12:30 p.m. -1 p.m. — Check-in
• 1 p.m.- 1:15pm — Welcome
• 1:15 p.m. – 1:35 p.m. — Pruning basics: Pruning cuts, timing, tools, safety, with Jackie Lee
• 1:35 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. — Break, then travel into field
• 1:45 p.m. – 4 p.m. — Five concurrent and rotating field pruning sessions

Workshop presenters, all from the Division of Agriculture, will be:

• Blackberries — Erika Henderson, program associate, and Jesus Arredondo-Lopez, program technologist, both at the Fruit Research Station
• Pecans — Jackie Lee, station director
• Blueberries — Jesse Taylor, Johnson County extension agent
• Peaches — Dwain Ober, station farm foreman
• Grapes and muscadines — Mike Brown, fruit breeding associate, and Matt Gal, fruit breeding technologist, both based at the station.

There will also be a display of the station’s spray application equipment with Jeff Inness, the station’s integrated pest management technologist.

Please email Meredith Crawford at mcrawford@uada.edu or call 479-754-2406 with any questions. The station is located at 1749 State Hwy 818 near Clarksville.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.