There are several reasons why gardeners should prune trees and shrubs. Pruning should be done to promote health and growth by removing dead or dying branches injured by disease, insect infestation, storms or other damage. The following will describe how to prune specific shrubs.
| PLANT NAME | TIME OF PRUNING | METHOD | REASON | COMMENTS | Garland Spirea
(Spirea x arguta)
|
Immediately after flowering | Remove 1/3 to 1/2 top growth annually
Cut back 1/3 older stems to ground annually
Remove dead/diseased/damaged
stems | Improve flowering
Maintain plant size/shape
Encourage new shoots from crown | Ideally hand secateurs are used
Disinfect tools between cuts if disease is present | Common Heather (Calluna vulgaris) | Immediately after flowering | Remove spent flowers by cutting from branch tips to green foliage
Remove dead/damaged/ diseased branches | Maintain plant health
Maintain shape, improve flowering | Hard pruning can seriously wound or kill a plant | | Rododendron catawbiense | After spring flowering or late winter when plant is dormant | Remove dead / damaged/ diseased branches by cutting back to healthy wood above an outward facing bud
Remove spent flower heads by cutting back to 1.5 cm above new growth
To thin or shape: cut back branch to just above the last whorl of leaves to be kept
To rejuvenate: remove most branches by cutting back each primary branch at different heights just above a bud or cluster of buds (pink dots on the bark of older branches)
More severe rejuvenation requires all branches to be cut back to within 15 cm of the ground
| Increase blooms for following year
Shape plant, promote bushier growth
Rejuvenation pruning: to restore plants that are overgrown, leggy and unattractive, promote new growth from the crown (this should be done late winter; will not flower same year as pruned)
| Use pruning secateurs
No flowering in the year of rejuvenation but new growth and flower development will enhance overall appearance in subsequent years | | | | | | |
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