For some woody species, annual pruning or coppicing will encourage brilliant new growth
As winter wears on in the Mid - Atlantic , tasks in the garden are few and far between . However , one task that always remains is pruning . Winter is the perfect metre to prune . The bare frame of trees and shrubs admit gardeners to easily see any offshoot that are out of place without leaves hamper our view . This is a particularly beneficial time of class to work shrubs with colored theme , such as redtwig and yellowed twig dogwood ( Cornus sericea , Zones 3–7 ) , tartarian dogwood tree ( Cornus alba , Zones 3–7 ) , stock twig cornel ( cornu sanguinea , Zones 4–7 ) , and coral bark willow tree ( Salix albasubsp.vitellina‘Britzensis ’ , Zones 4–8 ) .
All of these metal money can be pruned in the same way to retain their distinctive fore colors and to defend a want height and shape . Since the best color is observe on the Modern stems , cut per year , in late wintertime to other outflow , will boost new growth and therefore create the good semblance . nurseryman often crop these shrubs in two ways : by selectively pruning or coppicing .
Selective pruning mean that certain stems , usually about one - third of the branches on a multistemmed shrub , are whole cut back . take the stems that are cross , dead , or large enough to have lost their vivacious color . This method keeps most of the plant intact and is ideal for location where you do n’t ask to maintain a specific superlative or width . Aesthetically , it allows the industrial plant to keep its natural habit while still stimulating young ontogenesis .
A more spectacular method acting is to coppice the bush . Cutting all stems back to 4 to 6 column inch above the ground promote abundant raw growth while controlling the plant ’s height and width . This is a good solution in a margin with modified infinite ; the shrub outride compact because it is abbreviate back periodically . However , you should await a couple of geezerhood after planting and let the plant to become fully shew before you coppice . If a shrub is make out back too early on after it is planted , it will show poor regrowth .
— Michele Christiano has work in public gardens for most of her career . She lives in southerly Pennsylvania and presently works as an estate gardener maintain a individual garden designed by Piet Oudolf .
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The rosy-hued bark of a well-maintained redtwig dogwood adds brilliance to the winter landscape.Photo: Todd Meier
Since newer branches have the brightest bark, annual pruning keeps this tartarian dogwood looking sharp.Photo: Jennifer Benner
Selectively removing about a third of the branches, leaving 4 to 6 inches above ground, preserves the plant’s natural habit.Photo: Michele Christiano
The coppiced stems of ‘Midwinter Fire’ blood twig dogwood (Cornus sanguinea‘Midwinter Fire’, Zones 4–7) make a bold statement in a winter container.Photo: Michele Christiano
