Fall Question: Is it necessary to employ garden shears at this time?
Trim, trim, Split off: Many people yearn to tidy up their garden in autumn - even with gardening scissors. Yet, this rarely makes sense. Here's what you ought to know before you start trimming.
On October 1st, the cutting prohibition came to an end: Now you can trim in the garden once more - correct? However, autumn is not a suitable time to trim, as there's no reason to trim, asserts gardening expert Oliver Fink, chairman of the Association of Nurseries (GBV). Anyone who trims now is causing more harm than good to the plants.
"Every cut is akin to inflicting a wound," remarks the gardening expert. The issue: Plants are now entering their dormant phase, their metabolism is slowing down. The cut surfaces remain uncared for, hence, they cannot heal. This makes the plant more vulnerable, for instance, to fungal diseases. Pathogens can infiltrate more easily through the wound.
Thus, before you start trimming, you should always ask yourself: "Why am I trimming now?" Many individuals might not have a valid answer to that, states Fink. It's different if a plant is causing a nuisance, for example, due to its excessive growth. "You can trim that now, of course."
Exception: Raspberry - Trimming is essential
But there are exceptions: One plant that absolutely needs to be trimmed now is the raspberry, particularly if it has already borne fruit. In such a case, the used canes are cut off at the base. This is a preventive measure to prevent what is known as cane death. Infected canes will not sprout again in spring. Canes are the long, thin branches.
By the way: If you still have to trim now, gardening expert Fink recommends a few things to consider. For instance, don't leave any stubs, which are excessive twigs. Branches of trees are better cut back to the trunk. Trim at the fork of the branch. Plants with buds are trimmed directly above the bud.
For coarser plants, such as cherry laurel, hazelnut, or hedges, it doesn't matter where you start trimming with the gardening scissors.
In the context of botany and gardening, it's important to note that trimming raspberry canes is necessary during autumn if they've already produced fruit. Leaving the used canes untrimmed can lead to cane death, preventing regrowth in spring. Furthermore, if you find yourself needing to trim other plants during this season, gardening expert Oliver Fink suggests avoiding leaving stubs and instead cutting branches back to the trunk, trimming at the fork of the branch for plants with buds, and starting trimming arbitrarily for coarser plants like cherry laurel, hazelnut, or hedges.
