Tips on when and how to prune shrubs

SALT LAKE CITY — Pruning is the main topic of discussion during this time of year. That’s why hosts Maria Shilaos and Taun Beddes talked about when and how to prune your shrubs on the latest KSL Greenhouse show.

Pruning shrubs can be difficult if you want a hedge because you tend to shear them so much that they run out of buds that will produce new growth. Eventually, they get thinner and thinner.

“There are ways to work with that, but you have to let the shrubs grow out a few inches every year to keep those buds generating enough,” Taun said.

The best time to prune shrubs is usually mid-March, but there are some exceptions. Those exceptions would be spring flowering shrubs, such as lilacs and snowball bush viburnums.

Shrubs that bloom in April and May can only be pruned right after they’re done blooming. However, right now you can prune summer-blooming shrubs like Rose of Sharons and butterfly bushes.

“For most bushes, you’ll use a technique called renewal pruning… You are taking out about 25% of the branches every year,” Taun said.

This will help control the size and keep enough new growth, so you can maintain that size without pruning all the new growth out of the shrub.

Maria pointed out that some shrubs shouldn’t be sheared at all. If you over-shear your shrubs, they could end up looking unnatural. Check out this article for more tips.

Listen to the full segment on our podcast below!

The KSL Greenhouse is on every Saturday from 8-11 a.m. You can follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.