It is necessary to prune your deciduous flowering shrub for two reasons:
1. By removing old, damaged or dead wood, you increase air flow, yielding in less disease
2. You rejuvenate new growth which increases flower production
Pruning deciduous shrubs can be divided into 4 groups:
Minimal pruning
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Take out only dead, diseased, damaged, or crossed branches, can be done in early Spring
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Amelanchier, Aronia
Chimonanthus
Clethra
Cornus alternifolia
Daphne
Fothergilla
Hamamelis
Poncirus, Viburnum
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Spring pruning
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Encourages vigorous, new growth which produces summer flowers - in other words, flowers appear on new wood
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Abelia, Buddleia
Datura, Fuchsia
Hibiscus
Hypericum, Perovskia
Spirea douglasii/japonica
Tamarix
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Summer pruning after flower
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After flowering, cut back shoots, and take out some of the old growth, down to the ground
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Buddleia alternifolia, Calycanthus, Chaenomeles, Corylus, Cotoneaster, Deutzia, Forsythia,
Magnolia x soulangeana/stellata, Philadelphus, Rhododendron sp., Ribes,
Spirea x arguta/prunifolia/thunbergii, Syringa, Weigela
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Suckering habit pruning
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Flowers appear on wood from previous year. Cut back flowered stems by 1/2, to strong growing new shoots and remove 1/2 of the flowered stems a couple of inches from the ground)
Always remove dead, damaged or diseased wood first, no matter what type of pruning you are doing
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Kerria
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Pruning Basics - Rose
1. Use clean, sharp tools (disinfect pruning shears between cuts if the rose you are pruning is diseased. Use a 10 percent bleach/water mix as your disinfectant)
2. Look at the overall plant, but begin pruning from the base of the plant.
3. Prune to open the center of the plant to light and air circulation
4. Make your cuts at a 45-degree angle, about 1/4 inch above a bud that is facing toward the outside of the plant.
5. Make sure it is a clean cut (not ragged)
6. Remove all broken, dead, dying or diseased wood (Any branches that look dry, shriveled or black. Cut until the inside of the cane is white.)
7. Remove any weak or twiggy branches thinner than a pencil
8. If cane borers are a problem in your area, seal the cut with a white glue, such as Elmer’s.
10. Remove any remaining foliage
