Spring Pruning Shrubs

In a typical year, most shrubs should have been pruned by now. Unfortunately this year is not typical, and most people have not stepped into the yard to do just that. The temperatures will soon reflect that spring is finally here. The summer blooming shrubs may need a quick trim.

Let’s go over a few tips to get those shrubs ready for the year. Grab your favorite sharp pruner and a make a solution of 10% bleach to water. If you do not have a quality pruner; stop out at Culvers Garden Center and try out the Felco 2 pruner. It is the best pruner available and is used by professional and amateur gardeners alike. The bleach and water solution is important for preventing the spread of disease and fungus within and between the plants. Dip the pruners in the solution between cuts and especially between individual plants. 

Once you have your tools and are in the yard, decide which plants need to be pruned. Not all plants need a yearly pruning. It is very important to not prune shrubs that will bloom in the spring. Doing so will remove the beautiful blooms the plant has stored all winter. Early blooming shrubs need to be pruned once they are finished blooming. Once you select your shrub to prune, start with removing the damaged branches or dead tips sustained during winter. Make sure that when you cut a branch it still has either a bud or a lateral branch at the tip.  Do not leave a stub at the tip. The stub will die back and could cause the branch to rot.

Here are a few methods to pruning shrubs.

Shearing - The easiest and quickest to do. Remove just the tips of the branches to maintain the shape and size of the shrub. This type of pruning will cause a flush of new growth at the tips and make for a thick outer edge. The thickest hedges have been pruned like this from a young age. 

Thinning - The idea behind thinning is to allow more air flow and light to the center of the plant. Some plants will produce so many blooms or fruit that the quality is low. Removing some branches will reduce the quantity of fruit or flowers but can greatly increase the quality. 

Rejuvenation - Sometimes a shrub will get old or overgrown, and pruning can be a way to save it. Remove 1/3 of the shrub at the ground. Select the stems that are the biggest and oldest. The next season take another 1/3 of the stems, and after three years the shrub is new and fresh. Some shrubs can totally be pruned back to the ground and will start again. 

Heading Back - This is the most time consuming technique. You will need an idea of what you want the shrub to look like when finished. Select and prune branches at certain buds to allow the branch to grow in a certain direction. You may even need to remove a bud to force growth one way if the plant has opposite bud alignment. Use this on larger shrubs to get the best shape. 

There is a lot of information for pruning, but do not view pruning as difficult.  Please contact Culvers Garden Center at 377-4195 if you have any questions on pruning a specific shrub, we will be glad to help. Call our landscape maintenance department for a quote if the project seems too large. Take time to visit our new website for more information.  www.culverslandscape.com