A Master Gardener's Journal

By Janice Duffin, Delaware County Master Gardener

Since late winter can be a tough time of year for many gardeners, with the occasional warm days teasing and drawing us out to the garden with little to do, I thought I’d write about something you can do this time of year--pruning deciduous summer-blooming shrubs.

The Penn State Master Gardeners Hortline volunteers in Delaware County often receive calls from home gardeners with questions about the proper time to prune various trees and shrubs. So this should help answer some of those questions and guide you to the right plants to prune now, before spring growth begins. Note: do not prune spring blooming shrubs, such as azaleas, until after they’re done blooming!

It’s important to note that flowers form on new growth of summer blooming shrubs, so the time to prune is before new growth starts. This is known as dormant (no leaves) pruning, which results in more vigorous growth during the growing season. Here’s a partial listing of shrubs that you can prune this time of year:

Butterfly bush
Boxwood
Crape Myrtle
Deciduous and Evergreen Euonymus
Hibiscus
Hydrangea (summer-blooming only!)
Juniper
Nandina
Rose
Rose of Sharon
Yew

Remember, too, that pruning out dead or diseased wood can be done any time of year and should be the first step in pruning. Be sure to sterilize your pruning shears with alcohol in between cuts to prevent spreading disease to healthy plants.

For more information on the proper time for pruning different shrubs, go to the Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Guide to Successful Pruning, Shrub Pruning Calendar.

For information on how to prune, see the Virginia Cooperative Extension’s A Guide to Successful Pruning, Pruning Shrubs.

Do you have a gardening question? In Delaware County, call our Master Gardeners hortline at 610-690-2671 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 AM-12 NOON.

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