Spring Pruning Flowering Shrubs and Vine

 

Pruning ornamental shrubs and vines is done to improve plant health and vigor, control size and shape, to increase flower production, as well as remove overcrowded, damaged stems and branches. Pruning should be part of the regular maintenance and upkeep of your garden. March is the right time to prune many of the shrubs and climbers in your landscape. Pruning these flowering shrubs and vines isn’t difficult if you understand these general rules. General rule number one: prune spring flowering shrubs after they bloom and before they set seed.

Spring blooming shrubs such as lilac, ninebark and weigela already have this spring's flower buds in place. These shrubs are said to bloom on “old wood” because soon after flowering last season, they began to set the buds for this season's blooms. If you prune these shrubs now, you'll remove most of the flower buds. The time to prune ornamental shrubs that flower in spring and early summer is within two weeks after they stop blooming.

General rule two: prune summer flowering shrubs such as butterfly bush, blue mist spirea and hardy hibiscus in late winter or early spring, because they bloom on this year’s growth or “new wood”. Now’s the time to prune summer flowering shrubs.

Summer flowering hardy hibiscus and butterfly bushes do best if you cut them hard to the ground now. You can use a lopper to cut the larger canes.  If you want your Blue Mist spirea to increase in size each season, prune it back by one third now.

This is also the time to prune Group 3 Clematis. These varieties bloom on new wood in late June into August. They should be cut back to a living bud at about 24" from the ground in spring just as the buds begin to swell. If you don't prune, the flowers will tend to be only up at the top of the plant and the bare stems will be unattractive below. When to prune Clematis can be tricky depending on the bloom time and variety. If you’re not sure, don’t prune.

General rule number three: Don’t prune. If you’re uncertain about the blooming habits of the shrubs and vines in your landscape, don’t prune until you’ve had time to observe each plant’s growth and bloom cycle. Then you can employ general rule one or general rule two, whichever is applicable.

General rule number four: prune anytime there is a need to remove dead, damaged or diseased branches. When it comes to the health of trees, shrubs and vines in your landscape, it’s always the right time to prune.   After you're done pruning, give your ornamental shrubs and vines a good drink. If you have questions about pruning in general or how to prune a particular shrub, stop by our Diagnostic Center. We'll help you figure out what to do to keep your shrubs and vines healthy and blooming for many seasons.