What is the best time of year to trim azaleas? When is a good time to cut back monkey grass?
A. Azalea branches need to be selectively pruned. Use your hand pruners. Do not take hedge clippers to them. It’s time consuming. But, you can remove the branches at their base to eliminate the stragglers and open up bushes to allow greater air circulation and sunlight into the bush. Prune after they bloom. Monkey grass (mondo) is attractive year round and does not need mowing. Monkey grass is an evergreen grass. It is often confused with liriope. Both species need to be divided and thinned in the spring. Slip an old knife into the plant to remove sections of plant and replant them to propagate or share with friends and family. Old growth on both species can be cut back with kitchen shears, scissors, or, if aggressive, it can be mowed. But you don’t want to remove the new growth. Some gardeners shear or mow their monkey grass in late February or early March just before the new growth appears. You want to avoid doing this too soon so that you don’t have to look at sheared monkey grass.
A. Azalea branches need to be selectively pruned. Use your hand pruners. Do not take hedge clippers to them. It’s time consuming. But, you can remove the branches at their base to eliminate the stragglers and open up bushes to allow greater air circulation and sunlight into the bush. Prune after they bloom. Monkey grass (mondo) is attractive year round and does not need mowing. Monkey grass is an evergreen grass. It is often confused with liriope. Both species need to be divided and thinned in the spring. Slip an old knife into the plant to remove sections of plant and replant them to propagate or share with friends and family. Old growth on both species can be cut back with kitchen shears, scissors, or, if aggressive, it can be mowed. But you don’t want to remove the new growth. Some gardeners shear or mow their monkey grass in late February or early March just before the new growth appears. You want to avoid doing this too soon so that you don’t have to look at sheared monkey grass.
