Pruning your shrubs seems scary… right? What if you cut off the wrong branches, prune at the wrong time, or take too much off the plant?! Here’s the why, when & how to pruning that will help you conquer this nerve-wracking process!
WHY should I prune a shrub?
Most shrubs don’t require regular pruning in order to be healthy & beautiful! When you’re considering pruning a shrub in your yard, don’t be hasty! Stop and ask yourself WHY you want to prune it. Never prune without a reason! Reasons you might want to prune a shrub:
-Improve flowering and fruiting
-Improve stem color on plants like dogwood
-Improve the plant’s habit or shape
-Encourage rebloom
-Neaten a plant’s appearance by removing old blooms or wayward shoots
-Rejuvenate or shorten an overgrown shrub
-Create a special feature, like a topiary or formal hedge
HOW do I prune a shrub?
-Make sure to use a sharp pair of bypass pruners. Bypass pruners ensure a complete, clean cut (instead of smashing the branch)!
-Cut back to just above the bud, or at the next branching juncture.
-When cutting a stem, avoid cutting into thick wood where there aren’t any buds.
-When you prune, cut straight across instead of at an angle. This will speed up the healing process (less surface area exposed!)
-The rule of thumb is to remove about one third of the plant. You can do this in two ways. #1: Cut back all the branches about a third of the way down. This will shorten your entire plant, and also ensures even & vigorous growth. #2: Remove about one third of the stems entirely, all the way down to the base of the plant. This will encourage new growth from the base of the plant and will improve it’s health and growing habit!
WHEN do I prune a shrub?
The answer to this question depends on whether the shrub blooms on old or new wood!
Old wood: Shrubs that bloom on old wood create their flower buds for the following year almost as soon as they finish blooming during the current year, so these buds will be present for most of the year! Generally speaking, the earlier in the spring a plant blooms, the more likely it is that it flowers on old wood! Plants that bloom on old wood should only be pruned immediately after they flower. If won’t hurt the shrub to prune it later in the season, just don’t expect it to bloom the following spring, since you will be cutting off it’s buds!
-Examples include: Azalea, Deutzia, Rhododendron, certain Hydrangea, Forsythia, Lilac, Mock Orange, Ninebark, Weigela
New wood: Shrubs that bloom on new wood create their flower buds after new growth has begun in the spring. Plants that bloom on new wood can be pruned early in the springtime. It might be helpful to wait until you see new growth beginning to emerge on the stems, this will allow you to see exactly where there is healthy new growth.
-Examples include: Butterfly Bush, Coral Berry, Diervilla, Smooth Hydrangea, Panicle Hydrangea, Potentilla, Rose of Sharon, Rose bushes
Special Tips
-Evergreens like arborvitae & boxwood are best pruned in the spring, after new growth has appeared.
-Dead wood can be removed at any time!
-Avoid pruning: Bigleaf Hydrangea, Rhododendron, Viburnums grown for their berries, Winterberry Holly, Oakleaf Hydrangea