How to Prune Leptospermum Juniperinum
Leptospermum juniperinum is also called prickly tea or ti tree. It is a flowering shrub that thrives in warm conditions but is hardy to almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit. It is a small woody shrub that has spiny leaves. The plant produces white to pink flowers in mid-spring to midsummer. In order to encourage flowering stems for the next season, it is a good idea to prune the prickly tea tree after it has bloomed. This will force new terminal growth which will become the budding material the next spring. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Ensure that your pruning tools are sharp before you begin your project. This not only makes it easier for you to prune but will protect the tree from injury. Cleaner cuts are made by sharpened implements.
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Hold the blade of your pruners at a 20-degree angle and swipe it across the file. Drag the blade across the sharpener 10 to 20 times or until it feels sharp when you lightly brush your thumb across it perpendicularly.
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Remove any broken or dead wood. This will allow you to have a good view of the remaining frame and will begin to open up the canopy. Cut out any insect cocoons, nests or damaged foliage.
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Use the hand pruners to tip prune the tea tree. Cut back the spent flowering stems 1 or 2 inches. Remove them 1/4 inch before a growth point to encourage bushiness and new terminal growth.
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Cut out up to one-third of the oldest, woodiest stems that are not flowering as much. Use the long-handled loppers to reach into the plant and take them out as close to the base of the plant as possible. Again, make the cut 1/4 inch before a growth point.
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