Pruning Shrubs | Shrub Trimming

When Is The Best Time for Pruning Shrubs?
Generally, the best time for pruning shrubs is when they begin to look untidy; however, shrub pruning is ideally performed between late spring and late summer. The exception to this, is flowering shrubs, since timing has a crucial effect on the amount of flowers they will produce. Therefore, flowering shrubs should be pruned shortly after blooming but before buds are set in July:

Shrub Trimming Techniques
Before you begin pruning shrubs, it's important to consider the type of pruning which will achieve an end result that is both beneficial to the health of the shrub and aesthetically pleasing to you. In order to achieve the most beneficial results, carefully consider the following shrub trimming techniques:

Thinning
In this shrub trimming technique, branches are selectively removed at the base to open up the crown, maximize light penetration and prevent the shrub from growing too large for its surroundings. This type of shrub pruning is also performed to emphasize the larger stems and trunks if you are training your shrub to look like a small tree.

Heading Back
Branches are "headed" or cut back to the point where they are attached to another outward facing branch or bud. If you like your shrubs to have a formal look, trim back the new shoots by half in early summer to stimulate branching at the base. Then, in the fall, trim all new growth back by half again and begin shaping the shrub by tapering the sides and making the top flat or rounded.

For a more natural, less manicured shape, reduce the main shoots by a third in the second winter. Next, since different species of shrubs require different degrees of maintenance pruning, consult your arborist around midsummer to confirm the type of pruning which would be most beneficial to your particular shrubs.

TIP: Never shear shrubs - it causes dense growth to form at the branch tips in addition to creating an unnatural form - unless you are creating a hedge or sculptured form.

Be careful not to get overzealous; shrub pruning can be done to excess, resulting in a loss of flowers and fruit formation. Prune only when there is a definite reason. By thinning out the oldest branches, heading back tall, leggy stems and cleaning up unproductive or dead wood, most shrubs can be maintained at the proper height and spread for many years.

Click or call today to arrange a complimentary consultation from our fully trained and certified arborists for tree care, tree pruning and lawn care services from SavATree. Click here to contact the office nearest you.

SavATree provides shrub care in the following areas:

Connecticut - Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London and Tolland County CT, Washington DC, District of Columbia, Massachusetts - Barnstable, Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Rockingham, Suffolk and Worcester County MA, Maryland - Montgomery County MD, New Jersey - Bergen, Burlington, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, and Union County NJ, New York - Bronx, Dutchess, Manhattan, Nassau, New York City, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester County NY, Pennsylvania - Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia County PA, Virginia - Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William County VA