Pruning Shrubs
By: Marion Mitchell, Agriculturalist
McDonald County University of Missouri Extension

Up until just recently, many of us were ready to get out and do something to the landscape. However, weather has changed that for a time. A chore that can be kept in mind is pruning certain shrubs that will help their appearance and overall health. We often approach pruning with fear, but it is not as difficult as it may appear. Remember though that all shrubs do not need pruning and certain shrubs should not be pruned at this time of year.

Pruning is done for several reasons, which include: maintaining or reducing size, removing diseased, dead or damaged branches and rejuvenating growth of the shrub.

Evergreen shrubs are those that do not loose their leaves each winter. They include the yews and junipers. Deciduous shrubs loose their leaves each winter and can be put in different groups related to flowering habits. Some flower in the spring on wood produced last year. Others flower later in the year on wood produced the current season and still others produce flowers that are of little ornamental value.

Shrubs that flower in the spring should not be pruned until after blooming. These include forsythia and lilac. If they are pruned now, many of the flower buds will be removed and a reduced number of buds will be available for flowering. Some forsythia have already bloomed during the warm weather the past month, so a full display of flowers will not be available later this spring.

Shrubs that bloom on current season's growth or that do not produce many flowers may be pruned in late winter or early spring. The Spireas and Rose-of-Sharon are examples of this group of shrubs.

Spring pruning wounds heal quickly, reducing the incidence of disease and insect damage. Treating the pruning wounds is generally not needed.