Some overgrown shrubs can be cut to the ground and they’ll grow right back (this is sometimes called rejuvenation pruning). Typically, these are fairly vigorous shrubs that produce flowers on new wood. But be careful – even some of the shrubs on this list may never recover if they’re not in very good health before you whack them back.
Archives for January 2015
Late Winter Pruning Tips
Late winter is the ideal time to prune many types of deciduous trees, shrubs, and vines. However, the trick is knowing which ones to prune now and which ones to leave until later. Here are a few general guidelines to help you prune the right thing at the right time. The following should be pruned […]
Five Questions to Ask Before Pruning Anything
Pruning is an acquired art. It takes practice but, most of all, it requires an understanding of what you’re doing and why. That’s what our course, Pruning With Confidence, will teach you. But even if you don’t take the course, these five questions will help you decide what to do. WHAT kind of plant am […]
Recommended Books About Pruning
There are a lot of books that try to teach you how to prune – some with more success than others. Here are our top recommendations to help you learn more about pruning. American Horticultural Society Pruning and Training, by Christopher Brickell and David Joyce Revised edition (July 18, 2011), 336 pages. This book […]
Tree Topping: What, Why and Why Not
What is Topping? Topping is the practice of drastically cutting back all of a tree’s larger branches at a random point to make them shorter. The result is a tree with large, stubby branches sticking out in all directions. Effects of Tree Topping Topping a tree is often sold to the homeowner as a way […]
How to Identify Deadwood
It can be hard to tell if a branch is dead or just late in producing leaves or flowers. Deadwood doesn’t suddenly turn a different color or put out a sign saying “I’m done. Please prune me.” So how do you know what’s truly deadwood and what’s still living? Here are some ways to identify […]
Why Late Winter is the Best Time to Prune
If you had to pick one time of year to prune, the best choice would be late winter. Now I know there are exceptions (like removing dead, damaged, or diseased stems at any time, or removing suckers and watersprouts in late summer), but there are some very good reasons why late winter is best in […]
Five Reasons to Prune Hydrangeas
Hydrangeas generally need very little pruning. However, there are times when a good prune will be helpful. Here are 5 reasons to prune hydrangeas. Damaged and Diseased Stems. Always prune out damaged or diseased stems. Many hydrangeas that bloom heavily (particularly on long stems) will get weighed down from heavy rain, or blown around by […]
When To Prune Hydrangeas
The timing of pruning for hydrangeas depends on which type of hydrangea you’d like to prune. Hydrangeas that bloom on old wood should be pruned in summer before they set buds for the following year. Some people say that you can prune these hydrangeas as late as mid-August without affecting next year’s bloom, but it’s […]
Pruning Versus Trimming: What’s the Difference?
Both pruning and thinning are intended to reduce the size of a shrub but they’re done quite differently and with different tools. Trimming This is what many people do when they’re not sure how to prune their shrubs. They get out the hedge trimmer and shear away the outermost branch tips to form a neat […]