2) Plants with only a ‘current year’ cut, are plants that are normally cut to the ground in spring, so there was no 2-3 year old growth to cut. Before you start clipping, it's best to know what you're looking to remove. Put Your Shrubs on a Diet. Finally, you should go through your shrubs and trees and look them over after you’ve cut away the excess. The rule of thumb is to prune immediately after bloom for flowering shrubs, in late winter or early spring for non-blooming shrubs (particularly for heavy pruning), and not after mid-August for any shrubs. Generally, shrubs that bloom in early spring to early summer flower on old wood and should be pruned in summer, once their flowers have faded. Shrubs that flower in summer to early fall are best pruned in late winter to early spring. Words camilla phelps, photographs Andrew Montgomery Damaged or diseased areas should be pruned whenever the problem is noticed. 5. Not all trees and shrubs should be pruned in the winter or early spring, however. Small twigs can be cut back to a bud to encourage more branching. Shade trees, too, will be stimulated into new growth by assertive pruning, but they do not require the same vigorous pruning that multi-stemmed shrubs do. Pruning and coppicing: should you cut back shrubs and trees. Old Trees and Shrubs: Older trees and shrubs will often benefit greatly from pruning, as it will encourage them to produce new, vigorous growth that results in similarly healthy flowers and fruit. Flowering shrubs. The 1/3 rule can be applied to most shrubs and small ornamental trees, but for larger shade trees, pruning should be limited to no more than 1/4 of the total branches. When you’ve done this, you’re ready for the final step of the pruning process of trees and shrubs. Prune any dead, dying, or diseased branches. Discover when you need to prune, cut back and coppice shrubs and trees to encourage bright new stems and foliage. Generally speaking, shrubs and trees that bloom on new growth should be pruned in the winter and early spring, while those that bloom on old growth should be pruned in late spring or summer (i.e., after their flowers fade). But as in all rules of thumb, there are special cases. They are treated more like perennials in this climate and are cut back each spring. Both shrubs are root hardy in zone 5, but are not stem hardy. Trees also might need to be pruned and therefore reduced in size if they have dead, diseased, crossing or torn branches. Lilac shrubs bloom in spring and early summer and should be pruned after the blooms have faded. Read on for more details. 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