Outdoor Winter Maintenance - Shrub Pruning

Before pruning, you should have a goal for each shrub. Are you pruning to reduce the plant’s height? Are your shrubs overgrown and need rejuvenation? What do you want your shrubs to look like in the future? Understanding why you’re pruning them will help you achieve those goals and improve your landscape.

The best time of year to prune a shrub depends on what kind of plant it is. Shrubs that flower in spring produce flower buds shortly after blooming. Pruning should occur immediately after blooming to avoid a reduction in blooms. Summer blooming shrubs tend to produce flower buds on new growth in spring. Winter or early spring is the best time to prune these shrubs to avoid removing flower buds.

There are several pruning methods for shrubs.

• Thinning: The removal of 1/3 of the oldest stems on the plant each year to promote new and vigorous growth and increase airflow and sunlight into the shrub’s canopy.
• Rejuvenation: Cutting each stem nearly to the ground, leaving only 4-10 inches at the base. Useful for shrubs that have become overgrown or leggy. This method can not be used on all shrubs.
• Heading Back: Cutting back individual stems to reduce the height of the plant.

Always remove dead or diseased branches and branches that are rubbing or crossing other branches. Make your pruning cuts no more than ¼ inch above an existing bud. Always make the cut where two stems come together, and never leave a stub.

When not to prune:

• Plants are more brittle in cold temperatures. Don’t prune when the temperature falls below 25°F.
• When you first plant or transplant a shrub. Wait until your new plants go into dormancy to prune.
• Plants get stressed when they are dehydrated or during drought. Robbing them of their moisture reserves by pruning away foliage can cause death.

Pruning is one of the most effective ways to improve the health of a shrub. A landscape professional can help you identify the shrubs in your yard and advise you on how and when to prune them.