As fall settles in along the New Hampshire Seacoast, understanding how plants enter dormancy is key to making the right pruning choices. Some species slow down quickly, while others remain semi-active through early winter—especially in coastal towns like Rye and Portsmouth.

Trees add beauty and value to your property—but when branches grow too close to power lines or rooftops, they can quickly become hazards. Along the New Hampshire Seacoast, coastal winds and storms make proper structural pruning essential for both safety and tree health.

Living and gardening along New Hampshire’s Seacoast—especially in towns like Rye, Portsmouth, and North Hampton—means balancing beauty with the challenges of ocean air, salt spray, and steady coastal winds. These natural forces can stress trees and shrubs, but with the right pruning techniques, your garden can thrive year after year.

November is the perfect time to renew tired, overgrown shrubs on the Seacoast. As plants enter dormancy, hard pruning — or rejuvenation pruning — helps restore shape, encourage strong new growth, and improve flowering for next spring. Learn which shrubs, from spirea and lilac to hydrangea and dogwood, respond best to a deep cutback in coastal towns like Portsmouth, Rye, and Exeter.

October is the perfect time to prepare ornamental trees for winter on the New Hampshire Seacoast. Structural pruning now helps prevent snow and wind damage, strengthens branch unions, and preserves natural form through the harsh coastal season. Learn how selective pruning, proper timing, and simple aftercare can keep your trees balanced, resilient, and ready to flourish again in spring.

Winter is the perfect time to prune for healthier, stronger plants. In the Seacoast’s Zone 6b climate, dormant pruning helps trees and shrubs recover from coastal winds, salt exposure, and uneven growth. Learn when and how to prune during this natural rest period to shape your landscape, reduce disease risk, and prepare your garden in Portsmouth, Rye, and Exeter for a vibrant spring.

As fall settles across the New Hampshire Seacoast, hedges that offered privacy and structure all summer need one last round of care. End-of-season pruning helps them stay strong against coastal winds, heavy snow, and salt exposure common in towns like Portsmouth, Rye, and Exeter.

Overgrown lilacs can lose their shape and bloom power, but with careful thinning and the right timing, they can be restored without sacrificing next year’s flowers. This October pruning guide explains when and how to remove old canes, improve airflow, and rejuvenate lilacs in New Hampshire’s coastal Zone 6b climate. Learn how thoughtful, selective pruning keeps your shrubs healthy, fragrant, and full of blossoms year after year.

October is the time for gentle rose care, not heavy pruning. On the New Hampshire Seacoast, light trimming to remove dead or damaged canes helps protect roses from winter wind and snow, while major shaping should wait until spring. Learn how selective fall pruning and proper mulching keep your roses healthy, resilient, and ready to bloom again next year.

October is the perfect time for gentle shaping and cleanup in Seacoast gardens. While many plants should rest untouched until spring, a few hardy shrubs—like boxwood, spirea, potentilla, panicle hydrangea, and viburnum—benefit from a light fall trim. This fine-gardening guide explains how careful October pruning improves structure, prevents snow damage, and keeps shrubs healthy through the winter while setting the stage for strong, balanced growth next year.

By mid-October, gardens along the New Hampshire Seacoast enter their quiet season. While many homeowners feel tempted to tidy up before winter, pruning shrubs too late can cause lasting damage. In our coastal Zone 6b climate, plants need this time to rest, store energy, and harden off before cold weather arrives.

On the New Hampshire Seacoast, timing is everything when it comes to residential pruning, especially for hydrangeas. The region’s sandy soils, salty winds, and shifting temperatures all influence when these coastal favorites set their buds and bloom.

Roses are one of the Seacoast’s most cherished garden plants—but as autumn settles over Portsmouth, Rye, and Exeter, knowing how much to prune (and when to stop) can make the difference between healthy spring blooms and winter damage. In our coastal Zone 6b climate, fall pruning is about protection, not perfection.

As winter approaches on the NH Seacoast, fruit trees need thoughtful care to stay healthy through cold winds and coastal conditions. October isn’t the time for heavy pruning—doing so triggers tender new shoots that can’t survive frost. Instead, focus on cleanup and protection: remove diseased wood and leftover fruit, rake fallen debris to reduce pests, and apply mulch to insulate roots while keeping it away from the trunk. Deep watering before the ground freezes and using tree guards or burlap screens help prevent damage from rodents, sunscald, and salt spray. Save shaping and structural pruning for late winter, when trees are dormant and ready to grow strong for the next season.

Ornamental grasses add texture and movement to NH Seacoast gardens, but pruning them at the right time is essential for their health and beauty. Cutting too early removes valuable winter interest, while cutting too late can damage new spring shoots. The best time to prune is late winter, just before growth resumes. Leaving grasses standing through fall and winter enhances coastal landscapes, provides wildlife habitat, and protects plants from harsh winds. When pruning, tie clumps for easy handling, cut cool-season grasses to 4–6 inches and warm-season varieties to 8–12 inches, and remove debris to prevent pests. With proper timing and care, ornamental grasses stay strong, attractive, and low-maintenance year after year.

Fall may feel like the perfect time to tidy up the garden, but for many beloved shrubs on the NH Seacoast—like lilac, rhododendron, azalea, and weigela—autumn pruning can do more harm than good. These plants set their flower buds months in advance, and cutting now can remove next year’s blooms and leave tender new shoots vulnerable to winter damage. Instead, focus on fall cleanup: remove debris, apply mulch to insulate roots, and tie evergreens to prevent snow breakage. Save shaping and pruning for right after blooming in spring or early summer. With patience and proper timing, your Seacoast garden will reward you with stronger, healthier plants and a vibrant display of flowers next year.

Arborvitae hedges are a staple of Seacoast landscapes, valued for their lush, evergreen privacy walls—but fall is the wrong time to prune them. Cutting in September or October exposes tender inner foliage that can brown or die from cold winds and frost. Arborvitae rely on their dense outer greenery for insulation and wind protection, so removing it weakens the hedge’s health and appearance. The best time for shaping is late spring to midsummer, when new growth allows safe, healthy recovery. Through fall, focus on cleanup, tying branches, and winter protection instead. With proper timing, your arborvitae will stay full, green, and beautiful all year.

Learn why pruning lilacs in fall reduces next year’s blooms, and discover the right timing and techniques to keep your New England lilacs thriving.

Learn which shrubs and ornamental trees in New England should never be pruned in fall, and why waiting protects next year’s flowers and plant health.

Discover why fall is the wrong time to shear boxwood in New England and how light thinning keeps shrubs healthy and resilient through winter.