Garden care: Three shrubs that you need to cut in April

Created: 04/13/2022, 04:49 am

By: Andrea Stettner

A vigorous pruning in April ensures fresh shoots and magnificent flowers in the summer months.

Which shrubs and trees absolutely need to be cut now.

Gardening is in full swing in April.

While fruit trees and berry bushes have already been pruned in March, the pruning shears are used for the early bloomers in April.

Other plants need pruning to bloom profusely in summer.

We show which trees need to be well cared for in April.

Cutting trees in April: which plants need pruning now

A pruning has a positive effect on the growth of trees and shrubs.

© Cavan Images/Imago

• Hanging Pussy Willow:

  So that the

  If Salix caprea 'Pendula'

  does not get old, professionals advise cutting it back after flowering in April.

  To do this, shorten the shoots of the pussy willow to short approaches with two to four eyes.

  This pruning in spring rewards gardeners with vigorous new growth of up to 50 cm and lush flowers.

  For over-aged catkin willows, remove the branches just at the base of the trunk to rejuvenate.

• Forsythia:

  This

  beautiful, yellow flowering shrubs are at home in almost every garden.

  So that you can enjoy the plant for a long time, owners should thin it out regularly - according to

  Mein schöner Garten

  , the best is every two to three years, right after flowering.

  If you don't do this, you risk that the growth will become too dense, the shoots will hang down, the base will be bare and the flowering joy of the forsythia will decrease.

  Detailed instructions for cutting forsythia can be found here.

• Roses:

  As soon as the forsythia bloom, perennial roses can also be pruned without hesitation

  .

  This also applies if the roses have already developed short new shoots with green leaves.

  As a reward, there are many rose blossoms in summer and a healthy plant.

  First, remove any dead and broken shoots.

  The rose cut itself should then run about five millimeters above a bud, rising slightly at an angle.

  The top bud points outwards.

  Hybrid tea and bed roses can be cut down to 15 to 20 centimetres.

  Shrub roses that bloom once, on the other hand, are pruned in summer.

You should not be too radical when pruning your trees, because between March 1st and September 30th larger cuts or “putting on stock” of shrubs, hedges and other trees are

.

There is even a risk of fines of up to 100,000 euros.

However, gentle topiary cuts or care cuts on fruit trees are permitted all year round.

This garden work is due in April

In addition to cutting various trees and shrubs, there are other gardening tasks to do in April.

Raised beds should now be planted and the first spring flowers used outdoors.

But lawn care is now also on the to-do list for the garden, after all April is the best time to scarify the lawn.