Most of the content here is taken from https://stormguardrc.com/. I have however added my comments in between to further explain the importance and timelines for various plant families.
Too often, plant maintenance is overlooked. There are several benefits to a well-maintained landscape besides aesthetic purposes. Sure your home’s exterior property will look much more presentable, but pruning and trimming also allow for proper plant growth, as well as helping to control insects and plant-related diseases.
Pruning vs. Trimming
The terms pruning and trimming are often used interchangeably, but surprising to most, there is a difference between the two. When you are removing the dead, loose, or infected branches or stems from the plant, you are pruning. Trimming, on the other hand, occurs when you are cutting back overgrown plants. Normally in the UAE people use the word pruning to trim their overgrown plants. Just an aside for one to understand local parlance. Below are some of the many benefits of pruning and trimming on a regular basis.
Pest & Insect Control
One of the first benefits of pruning and trimming outdoor trees and shrubs is that pests and insects are better managed. If the insects on your property are not controlled, it can be a serious concern. Tent Worms are colonizing insects that build nests in your trees and eat the surrounding foliage. While the insects might not necessarily kill off the plant, they can spread diseases, weakening the plant and increasing the likelihood of falling branches. If the plants are too close to your home, the insects can make their way into your home or invite other unwanted pests to nest inside it.
Also, if plants touch one another, pests like aphids and spider mites spread easily in the whole garden and if you have an evil vine weevil problem your entire garden could be doomed. Illnesses like plant viruses also will spread easily as will fungus infestations like powdery mildew etc. One also needs to keep in mind that all scissors etc used for pruning needs to be wiped down with alcohol after every use to prevent pests and diseases from spreading.
Protection
A more obvious benefit of plant upkeep is the safety of your property. Dead and diseased branches create a major hazard to your home. Your family is also susceptible to the danger of falling branches. By properly pruning your plants, especially trees, you are ensuring that your property is safe. The siding of your home can also be damaged from branches rubbing against it from harsh winds. Vines and climbing plants should also be trimmed regularly. Depending on how closely they are located to your home’s siding, they can grow underneath the siding and pull it away from your home’s structure.
Proper Growth
Just like yourself, plants need proper maintenance for adequate growth. Pruning and trimming shrubbery improve the health and strength of a plant. Structurally pruning a young plant will benefit the plant the greatest in the long-run. It will require less corrective pruning as the plant matures and is more likely to have a healthier formation. If there is a loss in shape, the plant can weaken and not have the strength to support the entire plant. Pruning regularly helps you to check for pests as well as any concerns with top-heavy branches or leaves which can break and cause damage to the plant.
The last thing anyone wants to deal with is an issue that could have been prevented. By continually pruning and trimming trees and shrubs as needed, your home’s exterior will reap the most benefit. All plants require specific maintenance at different times throughout the year. It is extremely important to continually monitor your home’s landscape so that you can make any necessary actions as needed.
So let us look at what is needed for various plant families in Gulf gardens. Before I plunge into that please note that trimming of dead leaves and flowers on a daily basis helps the plant to remain strong as it does not need to expend the extra energy to dry off the flower and to seed and would use that energy to create new blooms. Unless you particularly want to collect seeds, dead-ending dying flowers usually help to keep the plants in bloom for a longer time.
Geraniums are one good example. If the dying flowers are removed regularly new flowers come up faster as the plant is not expending its energy into making seeds. I usually leave one flower on the plant if I am collecting seeds but most seasonals here come as saplings so I might decide not to bother. Jasmines, Hibiscus, and Morning glory are all wonderful examples of how dead-ending enhances flower production.
Now when do you trim your plants, trees, and shrubs here in the UAE? It is wise to do it at the beginning of the season for the particular species. So for summer plants prune in March April and for the winter ones prune in October. Just to be clear most trees should be pruned/trimmed in October when the humidity dips and the weather is not that cold. The other window is the early to late March time frame. which is during Spring. I always prune my Neem and Damas which are larger trees in October. Moringa is done during the March window and so is Beach morning glory. Hibiscus as well is to be done in Mid to late October. Plumerias are also best pruned in spring as they flower in summer and cannot stand the cold. Once trimmed, they grow quite fast and come into their own in May and June where the heavy humid air is scented with the fragrance of the Champa of many colors. Jasmines, I prune in October as they become very woody in summer and lose most of their flowers in September. They then become green and start growing quite fast ready to bloom again and scent the air in Spring and Summer.
When one trims, prunes, and dead-ends the plants regularly you are also automatically checking for and dealing with any pest infestation or diseases. At this point, organic pesticides and remedies can help but if we leave the infestation to fester then strong chemical remedies may have to be used which often harm the plant and the flowers.
Ixoras and Bleeding Heart vine (Cleodendrum Thomsoniae) varieties need to be pruned in October. I normally do not touch them in spring as they are heavy with flowers and look like a bride all decked up. But they need pruning very regularly as new flowers come on new growth. They do survive the summer here in the shade but look sad and need a thorough trim in Autumn. Butterfly Pea, Jacque Monteia, and Jathrophas also benefit from a good Prune in early October.
Desert Roses grow very well here and need trimming in the October Time frame. Do not trim before Mid October as the humidity will destroy them. Wait and give them a hard pruning and you will see the flowers in all their glory two-three months down the line. I feel they do better in containers rather than in beds as they have very leggy growth in the beds and the beauty of their caudex is not highlighted.
Vegetable vines like bottle gourd, bitter gourds, and pumpkin often need regular pruning during the season. The leaves dry up, the plant aborts a large number of the fruit and all this creates a perfect environment for pests to thrive. Dead-ending regularly is really important and I can vouch for this from personal experience. I was ill with Covid and was isolating. As I was unable to supervise, the gardeners just watered and left and my beautiful lush bottle gourd was a mess when I finally got to it. It was full of Aphids and Spider mites which would have never happened if the dead leaves had been removed regularly and the aborted fruits had been taken out. It took very strong chemical pesticides to fix it and I said goodbye to my beautiful Bottle Gourd vine. Tomatoes have also to be pruned regularly. The plants produce many runners and they get all tangled up. Ones with no flowers should be pruned off so that the plants have space for more fruit and the gardener can check for pests easily.
Hollyhocks can survive the summer in shade and they bounce back very quickly. But please give them a hard prune in early June and put in the shade with only morning or late evening sun. Bring it to more morning sun in late September and fertilize well. You will see flowers again in late October early November.
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