GUIDE
Pruning shrubs (general principles)
5 steps
How to do it
- 1Identify flowering time first — old wood or new wood determines timing, and this matters more than the calendar date.
- 2Prune spring-flowering shrubs right after flowering; prune summer-flowering shrubs (which bloom on new wood) in late winter/early spring instead.
- 3Remove dead, damaged and diseased wood first — the 'three Ds' — at any time of year.
- 4Thin congested growth for airflow rather than just topping the plant, cutting whole stems back to the base.
- 5Cut just above an outward-facing bud, at a slight angle, to direct new growth outward and shed water away from the bud.
COMMON MISTAKE
Pruning a spring-flowering shrub in winter — this removes the flower buds that formed the previous summer, sacrificing that year's display.
Plants that use it
Their calendar has a job that points to this guide.
BarberryJanuaryCrab appleJanuaryJudas treeJanuaryRowanJanuarySweetgumJanuaryBlackcurrantFebruaryBlueberryFebruaryBridal wreathFebruaryCrape myrtleFebruaryDogwoodFebruaryElderFebruaryEuonymusFebruarySnowy mespilusFebruaryButterfly bushMarchCalifornian lilacMarchEnglish lavenderMarchEucalyptusMarchFigMarchFlowering mapleMarchHeatherMarchHerringbone cotoneasterMarchHibiscusMarchHibiscusMarchHydrangeaMarchJasmineMarchLantanaMarchOleanderMarchShrubby cinquefoilMarchSmoke bushMarchCamelliaAprilEvergreen azaleaAprilFatsiaAprilHeathAprilHeavenly bambooAprilMagnoliaAprilPhotiniaAprilPig's earAprilPoinsettiaAprilSageAprilSkimmiaAprilThymeAprilViburnumAprilAlpine hebeMayFlowering currantMayMexican orange blossomMayFirethornJuneMock orangeJunePansyJuneRosemaryJuneSpurgeJuneWeigelaJuneBasilJulyHoneysuckleJulyOrnamental cherryJulyWallflowerJulyBottlebrushAugustSilver birchAugustStrawberryAugustMoth orchidSeptemberJapanese mapleNovemberNorway mapleNovember
RELATED GUIDES
Feeding & NPK basicsProtecting plants from frostWatering wellWatering plants in pots