Successful Shrubs with
Proper Pruning

Gorgeous yellow, pink, red, orange, white and purple blooms put on a show in early spring from plants like forsythia, lilac, azaleas, rhododendron, honeysuckle, mockorange, weigela and bridal wreath spirea.

Summer then greets us with bold blossoms in hues of purple, magenta, blue and red from butterfly bush, hydrangea, crape myrtle and rose of sharon. These deciduous shrubs provide a beautiful backdrop for the garden. And, most of these plants only require basic watering, fertilizing and pruning.

To keep your shrubs healthy and blooming prolifically, it is important to know which plants to prune at what times. Before you go chopping away, do a little research about when your shrub should be pruned. If you don’t do it at the right time, you won’t get many (or any) of those gorgeous flowers to enjoy.

Still Not Getting Any or Many Blooms…

Besides proper pruning, some routine maintenance will help keep your plants healthy so that they can produce those fantastic flowers.

If you haven’t already done so, fertilize plants this spring with Plant-Tone or Holly-Tone (for those acid-loving azaleas and rhododendron). Move the mulch and sprinkle the food lightly over the soil at the outer edges of the plant, then water. Add a layer of mulch to help conserve moisture and prevent most weed growth.

Though an established shrub can endure a moderate drought, it will flower more reliably if you help it through the dry weather with a weekly watering.

Other reasons your shrub may not be putting on its best flower show might include improper lighting or incorrect soil conditions. Many times, if a plant does not receive enough sunlight, it will not flower as it should.

If your soil pH isn’t correct for the type of plant you’re growing, you will encounter less than perfect flowering results.

If you’re having trouble with a particular plant, stop by or call us to help you find out why. And, remember, sometimes it just takes patience…some plants, like wisteria, can take up to seven years to produce flowers.

Shrubs to Prune Dormant

These shrubs produce flowers on wood grown in the same season and should be pruned in late winter or very early spring. This allows time for the wood to grow and the current year’s buds to set.

Abelia
Beautyberry
Bluebeard (Caryopteris)
Butterfly Bush (Buddleia – except alternifolia)
Cinquefoil (Potentilla)
Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia)
Heather (Calluna)
Hydrangea
Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus)
Scotch Broom (Cytisus)
Spirea (all species that bloom in summer)
Viburnum
Witch Hazel (Hamamelis)

Shrubs to Prune After Blooming

These shrubs bloom on year-old wood and need to be pruned just after blooms fade. This allows enough time for the new branches to form next year’s buds.

Azalea
Barberry (Berberis)
Beautybush (Kolkwitzia)
Daphne
Deutzia
Forsythia
Honeysuckle (Lonicera)
Lilac (Syringa)
Mock Orange (Philadelphus)
Pieris
Spirea (spring blooming varieties like bridal wreath)
Weigela