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Pruning Shrubs
Michigan State University
- Extension
Pruning Deciduous Shrubs at
Planting
When
shrubs are transplanted, pruning is sometimes
necessary.
Light pruning of roots or tops may be needed
if
they are broken, damaged or dead. Prune
tops by the thinning-out
method to reduce the overall height and width of
the young plant by 10 to 25 percent.
Shrubs
transplanted with a ball of soil (B & B or B & P) or
from a container often will not require much pruning. Occasionally,
branches may have been damaged in transit, and
these should be removed at planting.
Pruning
Mature Deciduous Shrubs
Correct
pruning is one of the most essential of all
management
practices for shrubs in the home landscape.
Proper
pruning will help keep shrubs vigorous, maintain
them
in proper shape and form for a desirable landscape
effect,
and add years to their usefulness.
Prune
deciduous shrubs to maintain natural habit of
growth;
remove dead, diseased or broken branches; promote
flower
and fruit development; encourage vigorous growth of
plants
with colored twigs; and improve chances of survival
at
transplanting time.
With
most shrubs, the ideal time to prune is during the
dormant
season before new growth begins. Spring
flowering
shrubs,
such as forsythia and lilac, should be pruned
shortly
after flowering to avoid removing flower buds.
Prune
shrubs that bloom after the end of June in the
winter
or spring before new growth starts. These
plants
develop
their flower buds during the spring growth
period.
Shrubs that bloom on current
season's growth
include
rose-of-sharon and oakleaf hydrangea.
In
general, most deciduous shrubs should be thinned out
rather
than sheared or cut back. Thinning
out prevents
excessive
or unsightly branch formation at the top of the
plant
and maintains the natural habit of growth.
Thinning
is
done by cutting off a branch where it is attached to
the
main stem. This method, the least
conspicuous of all
type
of pruning, is best used on plants that are too
dense.
To develop branches that
grow toward the outside
of
the plant, remove the inward growing branches and prune
to
an outward facing bud or branch.
Prune
branches at the point of attachment to another
branch
or back to a bud. Pruning just
above a bud
prevents
dieback of the stem, and a new branch will
develop
from the bud. Shearing causes dense
growth to
develop
at the ends of the branches. Such
growth shades
the
rest of the plant, which gradually loses its lower
foliage
and becomes sparse and spindly-looking.
You
can maintain plants at a given height and width
for
years
by thinning out. This method of
pruning is best
done
with hand pruning shears, not hedge shears.
Thin out
the
oldest and tallest stems first.
Older
shrubs that have become too large or contain
considerable
unproductive wood should be rejuvenated.
Prune
the plant by cutting off the oldest branches at the
ground,
leaving only the young stems. If
there are not
many
younger stems, remove the older wood over a
three-year
period to maintain the overall shape of the
plant.
New shoots that develop can be cut back to various
lengths
by the thinning-out method, which encourages the
development
of strong branches. Plants that
often become
overgrown
and benefit from rejuvenation
include
forsythia,
honeysuckle, spirea, Viburnum, Weigela
and
other
fast-growing types. These plants,
if extensively
overgrown,
severely weakened or otherwise unhealthy, can
be
cut back to the ground but may not bloom for one or
several years, depending on the rate of regrowth.
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