What to Prune in June (and What to Leave Alone)
Pruning is a common gardening practice where cutting away certain parts of a plant, such as its branches, buds or roots, can boost its appearance, health and growth. Yet pruning carefully, and at the right time, is key to ensuring you don’t accidentally harm your plants’ long-term health.
If you’re wondering what to prune in June (and what to leave alone), you’ve come to the right place. We’ve asked experts which plants require a good trim this month, and which plants should be kept away from gardening pruning shears until the summer has passed.
What to prune
Lilac
This gorgeous flowering shrub is known for its beautiful light-purple blooms and distinct fragrance that fills the air for a short period of time at the end of spring (likely late May).
Yet once your lilac bush has flowered, it’s time to give it a good prune, says Tammy Sons, founder and CEO of TN Nursery . Most people will be able to prune lilac bushes come June.
“Spring bloomers, such as these, will set next year's buds soon and trimming them now gives them eight-to-10 weeks to ready new buds,” she explains. “Any spent blooms and old stems should be cut at the base to open the canopy more and boost air flow to the center of the plant.”
If you time it right, you can prune lilacs while also cutting a fragrant bouquet for your home.
Forsynthia
Forsythia is a deciduous shrub with bright yellow, bell-shaped flowers. This early spring bloomer often flowers long before other plants, making it one of the first contenders for a June pruning.
The best way to prune a forsythia is to remove older, thicker stems at the base of the plant right after it’s done flowering. This helps promote new growth and helps the plant maintain its shape.
Azalea
Azaleas will require a more delicate approach to pruning. These vibrant shrubs that come in a variety of reds and pinks should be selectively pruned, rather than cut away heavily.
Remove any dead, diseased or crossed branches in June to help extend the lifespan of your azalea plant as soon as the shrub flowers, which is usually late spring or early summer.
Rhododendron
Most rhododendrons bloom in the spring between mid-March and mid-May, making June the perfect time to prune these shrubs with snowball-shaped flowers. In fact, timely pruning can encourage a longer blooming period to enjoy your rhododendrons for a few more weeks.
Prune rhododendron by cutting broken branches just above a dormant bud. Cut back any dead branches to the branch point. In general, a one-third pruning method will usually work best.
Roses
Sons says any rose bushes that repeatedly bloom should be pruned in June to allow new growth to flourish. Roses often require “thinning out” overcrowded canes by pruning dead, damaged and diseased wood with cuts at 45-degree angles to promote more airflow.
What to leave alone
Bigleaf hydrangea
Bigleaf hydrangeas bloom on old wood, meaning they should only be pruned at the end of summer after flowers have wilted (or later, depending on climate). “These plants are busy forming the current year's buds and cutting them now means no blooms for fall,” Sons says.
Oak, elm, dogwood and maple
Do you have oak, elm, dogwood or maple in your yard? Sons says it’s best to leave these trees and shrubs alone until the winter months. “If cut in the warm weather, they’ll attract pests and wilt,” she explains, “so you should wait for them to go dormant in mid-winter before pruning.”
Tropical hibiscus
Justin Hancock, horticulturist at Costa Farms , says tropical hibiscus are still in “active growth mode” in most of the U.S. in June. While you can carefully remove any dead or damaged growth, any extensive pruning done too early can delay flowering. “Tropical hibiscus are often treated like annuals, so delaying flowering gives you an even shorter bloom season,” he says.
Peony
Peonies, on the other hand, only produce one set of foliage a year. Cutting them back in June can actually decrease the amount of energy these plants will gather for next year, Hancock says. “This will result in fewer flowers and quite possibly a weaker plant.” Instead, consider pruning peony plants in the fall, giving them ample time to soak up the sun for best results.
Fruit trees
Chances are you’ve planted fruit trees for their bountiful harvests. Yet pruning apple, cherry and plum trees in June can decrease your harvest come fall, even if the trees have bloomed and the fruits are ripening. “It could also make them more susceptible to attack from disease,” Hancock says. Therefore, it’s best to prune most fruit trees when they’re dormant (usually late fall).
Tips for pruning
Any pruning you do in June requires a cautious approach to keep your plants healthy. This helps ensure you can enjoy the beauty of your plants and your hard work for many years to come.
“Tools you use to prune or cut plants should be sharp and sterilized, as well as wiped with at least 70% alcohol between different plants,” Sons explains of the best pruning strategy. “Never remove more than one-third of a healthy plant, because this can lead to stress.”
Related: It's Time to Prune Roses! Here's How
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