SAN ANTONIO – The spring has been good for the KSAT garden, but it has gotten out of control and needs a haircut.
You can use small pruners or electric sheers, some of which can be found on Amazon for under $40.
Early June is the time to clean up spring-overgrown gardens that have already bloomed, but you need to do it now, before it gets even hotter. We all know we are just getting started with the summer heat.
Here is a great article explaining early summer pruning.
If you prune plants during peak summer, it might weaken them.
You can trim back your native plants now. Some examples of native perennials are Gregg’s Mistflower and Salvia Indigo Spires. Pruning these back throughout the summer will encourage continuous blooms.
You also want to clean up anything that is taking over your beds before it gets out of hand.
For example, a pesky morning glory vine that keeps returning. Even though these flowers are pretty and pollinators love them, it can choke native pollinator perennials. Don’t use herbicides, because they can hurt the plants you planted in the bed and are also incredibly harmful to your health and the environment.
If you had to clear a space of an annual or produce plant that is done producing, you can plant seeds like zinnias or sunflowers that you can sow throughout the summer until our first freeze.