As autumn arrives and temperatures drop compared to the heat of June and July, it’s the perfect time to give your plants a “haircut.” Proper pruning at this stage encourages the growth of new buds and ensures more abundant flowering later on. But what exactly is the purpose of pruning, and what should you pay attention to afterward?
Roses
After the Start of Autumn, pruning roses mainly involves removing spent flowers. This encourages branching and prevents the plant from wasting energy on seed production. Summer’s faded blooms should also be cut back, ideally about 1 cm above a healthy leaf node. In addition, remove weak, diseased, or pest-damaged stems, as well as excessively long, leggy growth. This improves air circulation, reduces pest risk, and keeps the plant looking neat. After pruning, ensure good sunlight and ventilation to minimize disease.
Bougainvillea
After a vigorous summer growth spurt, bougainvillea often produces branches so dense that flowers become hidden by leaves. Pruning helps redirect nutrients toward flowering and promotes outward branching, giving the plant a fuller shape. Trim back overgrown branches longer than 30 cm, cutting just above an outward-facing bud. Also remove old branches with sparse leaves. Don’t worry about cutting too much—bougainvillea responds well. After pruning, hold off watering for a few days; soon you’ll see clusters of bright red buds emerging.
Hibiscus Syriacus (Rose of Sharon)
By autumn, small hibiscus shrubs often look uneven, with branches of irregular length. Prune them back to about 10 cm above the woody base. This encourages more uniform new growth and a tidier shape, resulting in layered blooms when the plant flowers. At the same time, remove any dead or diseased branches.
Aftercare: Following pruning, apply a light fertilizer every 10 days or so. This helps sustain energy and turns your hibiscus into a near “flowering machine,” producing blooms cycle after cycle.
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