Category: Shrubs

3/9/2026 4 Comments

Spring Pruning

Every year about this time, gardeners stand in their yards with pruners in hand, ready to cut, whack, saw, and do the meatball. But wait! Not all woody plants should be pruned the same way or at the same time. Other gardeners are intimidated by pruning, get out the hedge shears, or prefer to do nothing. No matter which you are, these helpful tips will boost your confidence and arm you with the know-how to make the right cuts.

Pruning Basics

March is the right time to prune back many trees and shrubs. They are still dormant, making it easy to study the branching habit and cut above leaf nodes.
Make slightly slanted pruning cuts about 1/4" above a leaf node. Slant the cut away from the bud.
Prune non-spring-blooming shrubs now before they leaf out.
Cut back Spirea and Potentilla down to 6” every 2-3 years to reshape and to remove dead branches.
Annabelle Hydrangeas can be cut back to 18” from the ground. Wait to cut back other hydrangeas until you see signs of green leaf buds swelling. If you have had trouble with Hydrangeas not blooming, skip the pruning altogether this year.
Do NOT prune lilacs, Forsythias, Viburnum, and other spring-blooming shrubs now. Wait until they have bloomed, then cut back.
For an illustration and links to maintenance pruning videos, check out this article by Fine Gardening here.

The Unprunables
* Some shrubs can be intimidating even for experienced gardeners. Elderberry, Flowering Quince, Forsythia, Mock Orange, and Weigela can be pruned using three different techniques. One is known as rejuvenation, which involves cutting all the branches back hard to about 6" from the ground. This stimulates an explosion of new growth and is best used when shrubs have grown out of control. If this is too drastic for you, break it into a three-year plan. Every year for three years, remove one-third of the oldest canes to the ground level. By year three, you'll have a completely new, nicely-shaped, healthy shrub. The other two methods for the unprunables are described here.

Other Tips & Resources

Do not prune trees and shrubs that were planted last year. Give them time to get established first.
Invest in a good pair of pruners and a pruning saw. Felco and Corona are both high-quality brands and favorites amongst our staff. We have Corona in-store and can order Felco upon request.
The best pruning book that we know of is by the New York Botanical Garden. Written by Daryl Beyers, The New Gardener's Handbook covers all the basics of gardening. In addition to an informative chapter on pruning, it offers helpful garden tips for even experienced gardeners.

Fruit Tree Care in Spring
We get lots of questions every spring about fruit trees, including when and how to prune. The following should help answer your questions:

Check the base of trees for signs of vole/rabbit damage.
Fertilize late March/early April before growth begins.
Check plums and cherries for black knot by April 1 to prevent spore release. Disinfect pruners between cuts.
Time to prune!
- Remove broken, crossed, or damaged branches.
- Remove suckers and water sprouts.
Begin spraying apple trees to prevent apple scab and other insect and disease problems.
- Spray dormant oil on dry, calm days and when temperatures are at least 40 degrees.
- Apply before buds break. Do not spray when flowers are blooming to avoid harming beneficial bees.

Tracy Hankwitz, Horticulturist and General Manager at Burlington Garden Center.

4 Comments

8/22/2014 2 Comments

Design Tip: Burgundy Blues

houzz.com

Burgundy foliage in the garden can be used most effectively when paired with the right hues. First, be mindful of your backdrop. Dark leaves don't show up on dark backgrounds. They just don't, so don't put them there. If you have a dark-red brick house, don't plant a ninebark against it. The burgundy leaves of the ninebark will show off much better against white or gray.

My favorite way to use burgundy foliage is to pair it with blue - blue hostas in shade, blue grasses and blue evergreens in sunny spots. Below left is 'Little Devil' Ninebark (Physocarpus opifolius) and 'Shining Sensation' Weigela (right) with 'Prairie Sky' switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in the middle' and 'Northwind' switchgrass. (shown in next collage).

photo sources: sensiblegardening.com, design-landscape.me, willowaynurseries.com

Add the blush flower heads of Hydrangea 'Quick Fire' or 'Limelight' (center), and the blue-green needles of a Juniper (left) and you have the perfect recipe for a sunny, low-maintenance shrub border.

photo sources: pahls.com, beulahacres.wordpress.com, gardininacity.wordpress.com

- Tracy Hankwitz, BGC Store Manager

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Spring Pruning

Design Tip: Burgundy Blues

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