JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As March arrives so does the milder temperatures and you will want to trim your plants before new growth.
Regular pruning encourages new growth but don’t start too early. Wait until the last freezes are over. Typically, most areas in Northeast Florida are safe toward the last couple of weeks in March.
As soon as trees and shrubs get snipped, it encourages new buds.
Using the proper trimming tools will help remove unwanted branches with ease.
Use shears or loppers to remove any dead, weak, or diseased branches and be sure to cut away suckers at the bottom of the plant.
Snip just beyond a healthy bud, and angle the cut at 45 degrees.
Afterwards use denatured alcohol to clean the blades to avoid cross-transmission of any possible diseases between plants.