I Need To Know When To Trim Shrubs Like Lemon…
Annette Asked
I need to know when to trim shrubs like lemon cypress, boxwood, Hapanese holly, and other shrubs in the garden. And how about roses that bloom only in the spring?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hello, Annette: Ideally, we want to plant evergreens in a space where they can grow to their mature size without any drastic pruning. Annual pruning to shape your cypress, boxwood, and Japanese holly can be done in late winter or early spring. Pruning can be done to thin, shape, as well as rejuvenate our flowering shrubs. The correct time to prune them depends on what the shrub is and what time of the year it blooms. As a general rule, we prune spring-flowering shrubs after they have finished blooming. This includes all plants that flower before June 1. For the summer-flowering shrubs, those that bloom after June 1, they should be pruned during the winter months or in the early spring before new growth begins. It is best not to prune more than one-third off any shrub at one time. If you need to take more than one-third off your plant, do so during consecutive years. It is fine to prune any broken, diseased, or dead branches off as soon as you notice them. If you need proper pruning instructions, visit http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ho/ho59/ho59.htm.
