When To Prune Summer Flowering Shrubs

Pruning your plants at the right time is the key to success.  If you Prune Summer Flowering Shrubs at the wrong time of year, you will probably miss out on their blooms for that season.  The risk of missing out on a blooming season is one reason people fear pruning their shrubs.

It is now mid-summer and some shrubs such as Oakleaf Hydrangeas have just finished their bloom cycle.  Now is the time to prune!  Cut out any dead or damaged stems first, then trim the shrub for shape and size.  Knock Out Roses are another shrub that can be pruned now.  Pruning your Knock Outs now will give you many more blooms going into the fall.  You can take about 1/3 of the plant off now.  It is a good idea to give them some Systemic Rose Food and water it in good.

Any of your Late Spring – Early Summer blooming shrubs can be trimmed now if they haven’t already set their buds for next year’s bloom.  A good rule of thumb is to prune flowering shrubs as soon as they are finished blooming.  If you wait too long after they’ve finished blooming, they may not have enough time to create flower buds for next year.  There are a number of re-blooming plants that are best trimmed lightly right after their first bloom cycle or not at all.  Some of these plants are Encore Azaleas, Bloomerang Lilacs and Gardenias .  If in doubt, don’t prune.

Now that you’re ready to prune, make sure you use the right tool.  Sharp By-Pass pruners work with a scissor-like action to make a nice clean cut.  When cutting into a branch, make straight, not slanted cuts.  This results in the smallest exposed surface area and encourages quick recovery.  Step back and look at the plant every 3 to 5 cuts.  This will help you to get a sense of the direction you’re headed and where to make the next series of cuts.

We hope this helps take some of the guesswork out of pruning shrubs after they’ve finished blooming.  Here is a list of other shrubs that can be pruned now, if they have finished blooming:  Abelia, Butterfly Bush, Summer Snowflake Viburnum, Loropetalum & Annabelle Hydrangeas.  If you have any questions about pruning shrubs in East Tennessee CONTACT US.  Willow Ridge Garden Center will be glad to help you out.

Check this out too for a Video On Pruning Techniques!