When is the best time to prune osmanthus?

Osmanthus Overview

Osmanthus likes warmth and has strong adaptability to the environment. It is resistant to high temperatures and relatively cold. It can overwinter in the open in the south. It likes an environment with plenty of sunlight. If it is maintained in a sunny place, its branches and leaves will grow lush and the flowers will bloom densely. If the maintenance environment is dark, the branches and leaves will grow sparsely and the flowers will be rare.

Osmanthus pruning time

Osmanthus can be pruned three times a year. The first time is in spring from March to April when it grows new buds. The second time is in autumn from October to November after the flowers fade. The third time is during the winter dormancy period, which is from January to February.

Early spring pruning: Osmanthus can be pruned once after it sprouts in early spring. At this time, first cut off the dry and weak branches on the plant, and then cut off the top 3-5 cm of the main branch together with the new buds. This can promote the growth of new branches and make it grow more lush.

Pruning after flowering: After the osmanthus blooms, the withered flowers need to be cut off. If there are diseased branches, they can also be cut off in time. This can allow it to save more nutrients, which is very beneficial for it to survive the winter.

Winter pruning: In winter, the growth of osmanthus is slow and it is not easily damaged by pruning, so it can be heavily pruned. At this time, the branches that are not growing well and are too long can be cut off, and the branches that are too dense can be thinned out, which will be more beneficial to its growth next year.

Osmanthus pruning method

When pruning young osmanthus trees, it is sufficient to maintain a 50-60cm main trunk and 3-5 side branches, and the rest should be cut off. Pruning young trees not only ensures nutrition, but also provides the basis for the development of beautiful osmanthus plant shape. Proper pruning can make the osmanthus bloom early and also have a good ornamental effect in the early stage.

The apical dominance of osmanthus is very obvious, and the main trunk grows faster than the side branches, so when pruning, the main trunk should be pruned heavily, and the side branches should be pruned lightly or not at all. In addition, the sick and weak branches, overcrowded branches, overgrown branches and inner branches should also be pruned away to make the osmanthus lush and beautiful. Mature osmanthus does not require major pruning, only appropriate shaping and pruning to maintain a beautiful tree shape.

Osmanthus has a strong ability to sprout, and old stumps should also be pruned. The pruning method is similar to that of mature trees. In addition, old stumps need to be pruned back every 2-3 years. Pruning is generally carried out 10 days before budding in early spring. Before pruning, apply a fertilizer mixed with less than 5% urea and potassium dihydrogen phosphate. When pruning, cut off 2-3 year old branches and overly dense branches, and make sure the cut is smooth.

Precautions for pruning osmanthus

After pruning the osmanthus, you must water and fertilize it in time, because the osmanthus needs to grow new buds, and the new buds consume a lot of nutrients. If the nutrients are insufficient, the buds that grow will be weak and thin, and the leaves will be deformed. You can choose multi-element fertilizers.