Pruning Shrubs

Pruning encourages strong growth, increases flower and fruit production, improves health, and aesthetics of shrubs. 

 Here are some guidelines when pruning shrubs:

• Remove dead, diseased and damaged branches
• Remove leggy and crossing / rubbing branches
• Rejuvenation pruning for overgrown shrubs
• Thinning to remove crown density and improve air circulation – allow light to reach inner and lower leaves
• Corrective pruning to improve health and aesthetics of shrubs damaged by weather, insects, and disease
• Hedge pruning – the top of the hedge needs to be slightly narrower than the base. This allows light to get to the lower branches to encourage production of shoots and maintain dense growth

Timing for pruning:

• Prune spring flowering shrubs AFTER flowering (lilac, forsythia..)
• Prune summer flowering shrubs in late winter to early spring
• Prune evergreens after new growth has emerged in spring