Guidelines For Pruning Shrubs

The Basic Principles of Pruning Shrubs
You first need to know if the shrub is evergreen or deciduous (drops all its leaves in winter). Without this basic piece of information it's best to leave the shrub over winter to find out which type it is.

Evergreen Shrubs
The majority of evergreen shrubs need very little pruning, they will maintain their own shape without any need of help from pruning. If the plant is loosing it's shape or needs pruning to reduce its size, then minor tidying is all that is needed. Do not cut back into brown or dead foliage on evergreen shrubs unless you know exactly what you are doing. The plant will not grow again from dead wood.

Deciduous Shrubs
Deciduous shrubs (ones which loose their leaves in the winter) are much more likely to need pruning. The old stems remain amongst new ones and the centre of these plant becomes crowded and prone to disease.

In spring, prune away all dead wood and thin out the centre of the plant if it is still crowded. If you want to reduce the size of the shrub, cut all branches back by a third. Spring is also the time reshape shrubs if the are misshapen.

Pruning Named Shrubs
If you know the name of your shrub then pruning is much easier. Scan through our list below and hover your mouse over the name of your shrub for instructions.

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