• Blog
  • Events
  • Gardening Videos
  • Resources
    • Gardening Guide
    • Online Resources
  • Garden Helpline
    • Collecting Samples of Plants and Insects
  • The Learning Garden
    • Plant of the Month in The Learning Garden
  • About Us
    • About Us
      • How to Become an Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteer
    • The Association
    • Contact Us
    • Speakers Bureau
    • Sponsors
      • Sponsors: 2019 Garden Tour
      • Sponsors: 2019 WNC Gardening Symposium
  • Donate
Extension Master GardenerSM Volunteers of Buncombe County

spring pruning

Timely Tasks: Prune Spring-Blooming Shrubs

June 8, 2020

Mapleleaf Viburnum_Dan Mullen_CC BY-NC-NC 2.0_Flickr
Mapleleaf viburnum

Our spring-blooming shrubs have been glorious this year—flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa), Forsythia, Fothergilla, some hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp.), mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), mock orange (Philadelphus x virginalis), azaleas and rhododendrons (Rhododendron spp.), lilacs (Syringa vulgaris), many Viburnum species, and Weigela are in this category. As their blooms start to fade, plan now to prune these shrubs for next year’s bloom!

Flame Azalea
Flame Azalea
Rosebay Rhododendron_Jim Dollar_CC BY-NC 2.0_Flickr
Rosebay rhododendron

Pruning time matters
Look at your shrubs while the blooms are fading to decide where you need to prune. If your shrubs didn’t look glorious this year—or you had no blooms at all—pruning might be the culprit! Timing is critical, especially for pruning spring-blooming shrubs that develop their flower buds during the summer and fall of the previous year. This is often called “blooming on old wood.”
By mid-June, spring-blooming flowers will likely be gone, and your deadline is approaching to prune. Plan to finish pruning these shrubs soon after flowering—no later than the 4th of July. Pruning in late summer, fall, winter, or early spring will remove the buds getting ready for next year’s show!

Oakleaf_Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen'_Plant Image Library_CC BY-SA 2.0_Flickr
Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snow Queen.’ Oakleaf Hydrangeas bloom on old wood; if they need pruning, prune right after the blooms fade.

How to prune
The North Carolina State University Extension has recently updated their series of publications on pruning (see links, below). “Before the Cut” introduces you to information on how to prune to open up the top of the plant to permit light and air to reach the interior, to promote new plant growth, maintain plant size, encourage flowering, remove diseased or dead limbs, and help control insect and disease problems.
When thinking about pruning, consider the “one-third” rules: remove about one-third of the oldest wood at the ground level and cut back one-third of the younger, newer canes about one-third of their height per season.
Spring-flowering shrubs.
The section of “Before the Cut” on “Plants that Flower on Year-Old Growth” is most relevant to pruning spring-flowering shrubs. The publication on “Pruning Specific Plants” provides more details on each individual shrub species.

Everything else!
North Carolina State Extension: “General Pruning Techniques,” which provides information on timing of pruning, pruning methods, maintaining shrubs, and specialty pruning.

Pruning woody ornamental shrubs_heading cuts_NCSU Extension
Heading cuts: A) shrub shoots headed back to same height; B) shrub shoots headed back to different heights.

Pruning methods discussed include size reduction:
• Heading back, the removal of one-year-old shoots recommended for plants that have outgrown their allotted space, and
• Reduction cuts used to train trees and shrubs and to control the direction of growth, among other purposes.

There is extensive information on cutting both small and large branches—with details about the proper placement of cuts, the guidance to “not leave a stub” following pruning, and the admonition to “never apply wound paint or tar” to the cut.
The section on maintaining shrubs provides guidance on the management of growth in deciduous, broadleaved evergreens, and needled evergreens, including the appropriate time of year to prune each in order to achieve maximum benefit in your landscape is provided.
The section on specialty pruning describes a number of techniques not commonly seen in most home landscapes. These include espalier, pleaching, pollarding, and topiary.
Article written by Extension Master Gardener Volunteers.
For more information:
Before the cut:https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/before-the-cut
How to prune specific plants: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/how-to-prune-specific-plants
General Pruning Techniques: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/general-pruning-techniques

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Categories General Gardening Tags espalier, pollarding, pruning, Spring flowering shrubs, spring pruning, topiary

Pruning Spring Blooming Shrubs

March 10, 2015

Flower clusters of Vanhoutte spirea. Karen Russ, ©2008 HGIC, Clemson Extension
Flower clusters of Vanhoutte spirea

The spring blooming shrubs are full of buds and will soon be bursting with color (and none too soon, I might add). I’m speaking of the earliest of the spring bloomer . . . forsythia, fothergilla, spirea, mock orange, lilacs, weigelia, azaleas, and rhododendrons. It seems that I notice more need for pruning when the shrubs are in full bloom, maybe because the branches are highlighted with color at this time.

Rhododendron catawbiense 'Roseum Elegans'; Joey Williamson, ©2011 HGIC, Clemson Extension
Rhododendron catawbiense ‘Roseum Elegans’

When to prune and how to prune can be daunting tasks unless you think your way through the life cycles of the shrub. Taking the task one step at a time makes the job much easier.

All of the aforementioned early bloomers develop their buds on last summer’s growth, considered to be old growth. Knowing that the buds are developed in the summer and fall, we also know that If the shrub is pruned in late fall or winter, the buds will be removed and thus, no spring bloom. The spring bloomers should be pruned immediately after blooms have faded and dropped off; and absolutely no later than the first of July.

Knowing the time of year to prune will result in having blooms for the following year. Next, the decision needs to be made about what to eliminate – another daunting thought! Again, take it one step at a time. NC State University has very good articles on basic details on pruning trees and shrubs: http://content.ces.ncsu.edu/pruning-trees-and-shrubs.pdf If you need more assistance for specific plants, the following is a great guideline for individual shrubs: http://content.ces.ncsu.edu/how-to-prune-specific-plants.pdf.

It really isn’t as difficult when the process of pruning is taken a step at a time. Just do it!

Article written by Patsy McNatt, Extension Master Gardener Volunteer.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Categories Shrubs Tags pruning, pruning shrubs, spring, spring pruning

NC Cooperative Extension; Empowering People, Providing Solutions

Blog posts written and published by Extension Master GardenerSM volunteers in Buncombe County.

Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to our blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 3,299 other subscribers

Recent Posts

  • Online Seminar: Wood Pallet and Straw Bale Gardening, April 24
  • Online Seminar: Planning and Growing a Botanical Dye Garden, April 19
  • Applications Being Accepted for Extension Master GardenerSM Training
  • Online Seminar: Gardening for All Abilities—Gardening for a Lifetime, April 15
  • Gardening Video: Feed the Soil—Using Soil Amendments and Conditioners

Categories

  • Events
    • Extension in Buncombe County
    • Lectures & Seminars
    • School Garden Grants
  • Flowers
    • Bulbs
    • Perennials & Biennials
    • Roses
    • Wildflowers
  • Gardening for Children
  • Gardening Videos
  • General Gardening
    • Installation & Planting
    • Mulch
    • Native Plants
    • Propagation
    • Seasonal Chores
    • Soils & Fertilizers
  • Houseplants
  • Landscaping
    • Firewise Landscaping
    • Landscape Design
    • Site Conditions
    • Water Management
  • Lawns
  • Pest Management
    • Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
    • Invasive Plants
    • Pesticides
    • Weeds
  • Plant Diseases
  • Plant Insects
    • Beneficial Insects
    • Insect Pests
    • Invasive Insects
  • Shrubs
  • Special Gardens
    • Container Gardens
    • Herb Gardens
    • Pollinator Gardens
    • Rain Gardens
    • Shade Gardens
  • Trees
  • Vegetables & Fruits
  • Wildlife

Contact Us

Buncombe County Extension Office
49 Mount Carmel Road
Asheville, NC 28806
Helpline 828-255-5522

Events

Keep up with our events by subscribing to the blog or checking our Events Calendar.

Explore the Archives

Back to Top

Copyright © 2021 Extension Master Gardeners of Buncombe County. Privacy Policy.