Show Learn Growth Habits of Plants Before Pruning Dont butcher your shrubs with pruning shears A good many well meaning gardeners do just that TO PRUNE correctly it is necessary necessary to know something of the growth habits of shrubs They may be divided roughly y yInto Into two groups The larger group Includes the early spring bloomers In this group Ute the flower buds were formed last fall and are ready to burrt into bloom as warns warn weather approaches Thoughtless pruning prun prun- tog ing at this time of year naturally naturally na- na may remove many of Ute the flower buds Since spring Howe r l' I n g shrubs renew themselves from new new shoots arising at the base one of the essential operations Lg to remove old growth each year to assure proper development of new growth grO IN TilE second group are the late bloomers In tl this s type the flower buds are produced on shoots of the present seasons sea sea- sons growth PrunIng these shrubs in early spring does not remove flower buds because because be- be cause they have not yet formed d. Hydrangeas altheas butte butterfly ly bushes and are In this class Clip off the faded flower clusters of French hybrids The production of seed is an unnecessary drain on the plant Along with proper pruning remember your shrubs need needa d da a good feeding of plant food in Ute tho early spring |