When Do I Prune if My Plants Don’t Go Dormant?

More than one person has written to ask, "My winter has been very mild and several plants that need dormant pruning don't seem to have gone dormant. Will it hurt them if I prune them now and if so, how long should I wait?"

This can be an ongoing problem for gardeners in warm climates, but it is also possible some plants won't go into complete dormancy in cold areas that experience mild winters. If that's the case for you, it's still best to prune before the new spurt of growth in the spring, rather than not pruning at all. I'd suggest waiting until you see the leaf buds beginning to swell and pruning then. That's when the plant is ready to burst into action. Pruning now could encourage the plant to start sending out new growth immediately and that tender new growth will be killed off when the weather hits a cold spell.

Those of you in warm winter areas get to prune most of your plants in December and January. The plants may never go dormant, but most do slow down and rest a bit. And the cooler, wetter season is kinder on plants than pruning in the dry heat of summer.

Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.