Pruning is one of the best things you can do for your shrubs. Regular pruning maintains the shrubs’ size and prevents breakage during the winter months by managing the structure of the plant. It even creates more flowers as the shrub redirects its energy into flower production rather than overgrowth.

The chart that follows provides our timing recommendations for pruning some of the most popular shrubs in our area. The “Flower Buds” column notes whether the buds form on new or old growth and the “comments” column incudes some of our gardeners’ tips to prune your shrub of choice.

For reference, here are the pruning techniques we recommend:

• Heading: Trimming long, unbranched stems by cutting above a healthy bud. This encourages lower branches to develop.
• Rejuvenation: Cutting back all of the stems to within an inch of the ground during dormancy. Come spring, the plants will product new shoots from the base.
• Thinning: Removing selected shoots or the main stem to open up the middle of the plant to more sunlight. This helps to maintain the natural form, keeps the interior branches healthy and encourages new growth.
• Shearing: Trimming the plant around the outside to restore the structure in the landscape setting.