---

Shrubs are a constant in the landscape. They are a permanent fixture for temporary displays of bulbs, annuals and blooming perennials. A well-planned design consists of a multitude of shrubs for every season.

There are a plethora of beautiful, hardy shrubs for Minnesota. Certain varieties are known for spring blossoms, including rhododendron, flowering almond and forsythia. Others are treasured for summer and fall foliage color, as in spirea and burning bush. A cranberry bush displays small berries that are also loved by birds.

When everything else is asleep under the blankets of snow, one will appreciate a red-osier dogwood shrub. The crimson-colored bark stands out against the barren, white backdrop.

Proper pruning is essential to the aesthetics of a shrub; helping them look superb for years to come.

It can also be considered "preventive maintenance". Problems can be thwarted with the right pruning techniques and tools.

However, the right time to prune can be confusing.

Timing is most dependent on when a shrub flowers and whether it flowers on old wood or new wood. "Old wood" or last year's growth is wood that has gone through at least one winter.

"New wood" or this year's growth is part of the branch that has grown in the current growing season.

Lilacs, forsythias, azaleas and Juneberries are some of first flowering shrubs of the gardening season. They all bloom on old wood. Lilacs were especially stellar this year! A little maintenance will help them come back each season with abandon. All of these shrubs should be pruned immediately after they finish blooming (before they begin developing their next crop of flower buds).

If pruned too late in the spring, there will be no flowers next year! Lilacs usually don't require much pruning, as they tend to come back beautifully on their own.

Plants that flower on new growth may be pruned before the growing season begins.

Clematis, spireas, Pee Gee and Annabelle hydrangeas can be pruned down to the first pair of buds above the ground. Shrub roses should be pruned back to live wood.

Fruit-bearing shrubs or shrubs grown mainly for their foliage should be pruned before growth starts in spring.

Dogwood, honeysuckle, barberry, burning bush, purpleleaf sandcherry and viburnums fall into this category.

Best practice is to completely remove the oldest one-third of branches each year. All pruning cuts should be made cleanly, without tearing any adjacent areas of bark. The pruning shears need to be sharp and cuts should be made at a slight angle to the main stem.

Pruning shears can also be cleaned with a solution of bleach and water between plants to help prevent the spread of disease.

A general rule of thumb is that most spring-flowering shrubs should be pruned immediately after they bloom, while most summer shrubs should be pruned in early spring.

Avoid doing any routine pruning after mid-August, as it will cause the shrub to put out new growth. The new growth may not harden off before the cold weather sets in. Although it may be tempting to prune everything all at once on a warm, summer day, learning about the proper time to prune each shrub will pay off tremendously.

---