How do you prune Vitex?
- Prepare a solution of 1 part chlorine bleach and 9 parts water.
- Cut the entire plant back to the ground if it is severely overgrown, misshapen or appears unhealthy; the plant will...
Can I severely prune a Vitex?
Vitex plants were hurt significantly in many parts of Texas. If you have branches that you are sure were killed you can prune them out over the winter. Otherwise, wait until early spring to see how vigorously the plant puts out new growth. If it’s lethargic you’ll have plenty of time to replace it from spring nursery inventories.
When and how do I prune my overgrown viburnums?
- Prune an American cranberrybush just before the buds swell in late winter or early spring, or wait to prune it immediately after flowering.
- Examine the shrub to gauge whether or not if it is overgrown and to look for the oldest, most unproductive canes.
- Prune misshapen branches and thin out crowded areas.
How to prune Vitex trifolia purpurea?
Vitex Plant Care. The genus Vitex contains several plants that grow as deciduous shrubby plants or small trees and are called chaste trees or just vitex (Vitex spp.), depending on the species. All ...
How to prune, why and when to prune?
How to Prune Roses: Recap
- Decide why you’re pruning: to rejuvenate the rose bush, remove dead and diseased branches, promote airflow, or control size and shape.
- Use basic rose pruning principles for healthy cuts.
- Prune at the proper time for the type of rose you’re growing.
- Use the proper pruning technique for your desired effect.
How do you prune Vitex trees?
In winter, remove weak, twiggy growth from the center of the plant to keep it looking tidy. This is also the time to prune to encourage branching. Make cuts all the way back to a side branch whenever possible. If you must shorten rather than remove a branch, cut just above a twig or bud.
When should I prune my vitex tree?
Extensive, heavy pruning to reduce the size of a chaste tree should be done in late winter, before new growth has begun to emerge. At this time, you can cut branches to a desired length or to a point where they intersect another branch. If you are just shortening a branch, cut just above a twig or bud.
How do you shape Vitex?
0:295:00How to Prune Vitex or Chaste Tree - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThere's a lot of lower foliage or branches that come off the way i like to trim mine is is like youMoreThere's a lot of lower foliage or branches that come off the way i like to trim mine is is like you would do a crepe myrtle. So i'll remove a lot of the lower branches.
How do you keep Vitex blooming?
You can encourage continued production by deadheading spent flowers—a task that can be a little irksome with larger shrubs. Yearly pruning during winter will help keep the shrub in an attractive shape and control its size. Vitex tolerates heavy pruning quite well.
Can you cut Vitex to the ground?
A: Yes, you can cut this plant back severely in early spring. Some cut theirs within inches of the ground. You can trim again during the growing season to maintain the tree at the desired height. Removing spent flowers does encourage more blooms.
Do you deadhead Vitex?
Trim Vitex in late winter to early spring. Thin out older canes to encourage new growth from the base. It blooms on new wood so prune before foliage emerges in the spring. Deadhead spent spikes to encourage continuous flowering.
Should vitex be pruned?
For Vitex, pruning is generally done to accomplish a few goals – keep the plant healthy and shapely, with a great show of flowers the upcoming year. First remove any dead, broken or whiskery twigs.
Can you keep vitex short?
Big or Small, It's a Keeper. If you have a large space that needs filling quickly, or if you're diligent with the pruners, vitex might be a good choice for you. This fast-grower can be kept trimmed to bush size or allowed to grow into a multi-trunked, vase-shaped tree.
How do you prune a purple vitex?
Trim Vitex in late winter to early spring. Thin out older canes to encourage new growth from the base. It blooms on new wood so prune before foliage emerges in the spring. Deadhead spent spikes to encourage continuous flowering.
Does vitex bloom on old or new wood?
Because the tree blooms on new wood, it doesn't require the old, and such severe pruning leaves only new wood. Because chaste tree is somewhat slow to get growing in spring, such treatment should probably be reserved for southern areas, where the tree will shoot up fast once the real heat begins.
Does vitex bloom all summer?
Vitex (chaste tree, Vitex agnus-castus) blooms from late spring until early fall with long, upright spikes of pink, lilac, and white flowers. Any shrub or tree that blooms all summer is well worth planting, but when it also has pleasantly fragrant flowers and foliage, it becomes a must-have plant.
How long do vitex trees live?
Fast growers grow old fast, too: average life span is 15 to 20 years. Being an average, that means yours might live to 40 or beyond if it is in well-drained soil and you are in a less humid part of Zone 7, 8 or 9.
How to disinfect pruning tools?
1. Prepare a solution of 1 part chlorine bleach and 9 parts water. Clean the blades of all pruning tools with this disinfectant solution. Add the leftover solution to a spray bottle so you can disinfect the tools again after cutting through diseased branches.
How to get rid of expired flowers?
Remove expired blossoms as soon as flowers fade in summer to encourage a second flowering period. Use bypass pruners for branches less than one-half inch in diameter, cut branches up to 1 1/2 inches in diameter with lopping shears, and cut larger branches with a pruning saw.
When to prune vitex?
These will need to be removed in late winter, or before new growth begins in the early spring. If living in USDA hardiness zones 8 and 9, thin out low branches, crossing branches and suckers in late winter, and prune dead, non-productive branches in mid-spring. Leaves will grow on old growth but vitex flowers occur only on new growth ...
What is Vitex tree?
Vitex is a fast-growing, multi-trunked small tree in USDA zones 8 and 9 and more shrub-like in USDA zones 6 and 7 where cold weather often freezes it to the ground. Pruning benefits this tree if you want repeat blooms and if you want a more open tree shape.
How tall does Vitex grow?
Low Maintenance or Well Shaped is Your Choice. Vitex can be a low-maintenance small tree that sprawls and reaches heights of 10 to 20 feet in the warmer sections of its preferred growing range. If placed in a location where this shape complements the landscape, most maintenance will involve removing the seeds.
Is Vitex a double take?
Vitex is considered a double-take tree, often earning additional looks from people who wonder how a lilac bush can grow in USDA zones 8 or 9. For this reason, another common name is the lilac chaste tree. Vitex presents vibrant lilac-colored blossoms every summer against a backdrop of gray-green foliage, making it a desirable substitute for ...
How to grow vitex?
Removing spent flowers does encourage more blooms. If you wish to grow the vitex as a V-shaped, multi-trunked small tree, do not prune as hard to avoid having to "retrain" the plant. Keep lower branches and suckers removed. Shorten longer branches a few to several feet in early spring.
Can you cut back a Woodlands tree?
The Woodlands. A: Yes, you can cut this plant back severely in early spring. Some cut theirs within inches of the ground. You can trim again during the growing season to maintain the tree at the desired height. Removing spent flowers does encourage more blooms.
What is chaste tree trimming?
Chaste tree trimming is an important part of caring for the tree. Once you know when and how to prune chaste trees, you can keep them looking neat and blooming all summer.
How to keep chaste trees blooming all summer?
Carefully placed cuts can encourage the shrub to put on new growth. Another type of pruning, called deadheading, is important to keep chaste trees blooming all summer.
Do chaste trees grow in the direction of the bud?
New growth will take off in the direction of the bud. Pruning chaste trees to remove the lower limbs that droop and hang close to the ground is optional, but if you remove these branches it will make lawn and garden maintenance much easier, and you’ll be able to grow ornamentals under the tree. Printer Friendly Version.
Can you cut a chaste tree?
Even if you’ve never pruned a tree or shrub before, you can prune a chaste tree. These trees are very forgiving and quickly grow back to cover mistakes. In fact, you can cut off the entire tree at ground level and it will regrow at an astonishing pace.
