Garden Tip 154:

PRUNING: FOLLOW THE FLOWER

We have talked in the past about the best time to prune shrubs, and our motto here is to “follow the flower.” The general rule of thumb is to prune shrubs just when their flowering time is over.

Spring flowering shrubs are now entering this time frame. The list includes, but is not limited to: viburnum, forsythia, rhododendron, spirea, lilac, ninebark, fothergilla and witch hazel. We are talking pruning here– not shearing. Pruning is cutting branch by branch.

Pruning in this fashion helps to control the overall size of a shrub while maintaining its natural shape. Prune slowly, stepping back every now and again to view progress. We can always prune off more, but we can’t put it back! Remember, shearing is for hedges; pruning is for shrubs!