How to Prune Your Shrubs?

Pruning your shrubs isn’t as straightforward as going outside and lopping off whatever branches you want. It’s important to prune them correctly, so they continue to flower and put out healthy, vigorous new growth.

What is the Best Time to Prune Shrubs?

For many shrubs, you should prune them in late winter or early spring while they are still dormant. However, if you have flowering shrubs, you need to determine if they bloom on old wood or new growth because it affects their pruning schedule.

  • If they bloom on new growth, prune in late winter or early spring.
  • If they bloom on old wood (forsythia, lilac, weigela, rhododendron, mock orange), prune them right after they finish flowering in the summer. Pruning in the spring may remove all of the flower buds, resulting in a non-flowering shrub.
Determine How Your Shrub Needs Pruning

It isn’t feasible to list detailed pruning instructions for each type with so many different shrubs. Therefore, it’s best to consult an online guide to determine how and when to prune your shrubs.

Pruning Dos and Don’ts

Regardless of your shrub’s growth habit or when it flowers, there are some basic things you should and shouldn’t do when pruning.

  • Keep your pruning tools sharp so they quickly cut through branches or stems without leaving a jagged, rough edge.
  • Do make pruning cuts just above buds at a 45-degree angle.
  • Do remove any dead or damaged stems at any time during the growing season.
  • Do step back periodically to assess your progress and gauge the overall form.
  • Do clean and disinfect your pruners before you start and between each shrub.
  • Do open up the center of the plant with thinning cuts. If you just trim back branch tips, you’ll have dense foliage at the top and weak, leafless branches at the center.
  • Remove your shrub’s thickest, oldest wood first, and then prune younger stems.
  • Don't remove more than one-third of a shrub’s mass in a single growing season.
  • Don't remove more than one-quarter of a stem's length in a single cut.
Why are Sterilized Pruning Shears Essential?

Keeping your pruners clean and sterilized is critical to prevent spreading diseases or other problems between plants. Unfortunately, you may not always see visible symptoms, but your shrub is infected. Cutting through the stems and branches and then moving to a healthy plant is an easy way to spread problems.

To sterilize your shears, wipe down the cutting surfaces with isopropyl alcohol before pruning and between each plant. Allow them to air dry before making any cuts.