How to Prune Spirea Shrubs
Understand why you should prune spirea., Be prepared to prune some suckers., Know when to prune your specific variety of spirea., Understand why pruning after flowering can help your plant to grow.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Understand why you should prune spirea.
There are several reasons to prune spirea.
These reasons include:
Maintaining the height and spread of your Spirea Shrub, and to preserve an attractive shape.
Removing any diseased or damaged branches and any dead growth.
Encouraging a second flowering.
Removing suckers and prevent the plant spreading via suckering. -
Step 2: Be prepared to prune some suckers.
Some varieties of spirea produce suckers.
Suckers are shoots that emerge from the roots of the plant.
Suckers are eventually capable of producing independent plants of their own; suckering is one of the ways that spirea reproduces.
Pinch or prune these off if you don’t want your spirea to spread in your garden.
The specifics of how to do this will be covered in the next section. , Dead, diseased, and broken branches should be removed at any time of the year but you should only prune healthy plant growth at the right time.
If you have Japanese or Bumald Spirea, prune them in early spring before the flowering season starts.
Other varieties of Spirea should be pruned after the flowering has finished.
For varieties of Spirea that bloom in spring, that will usually be late spring.
For varieties of Spirea that bloom in summer, that will usually be late summer or fall. , Pruning after flowering allows the maximum amount of time for the plant to grow fresh growth after pruning before the flowering season starts again the following year.
It isn’t a disaster if you delay pruning, and this won’t harm the plant, but your spirea will offer less of a display in the next flowering season. -
Step 3: Know when to prune your specific variety of spirea.
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Step 4: Understand why pruning after flowering can help your plant to grow.
Detailed Guide
There are several reasons to prune spirea.
These reasons include:
Maintaining the height and spread of your Spirea Shrub, and to preserve an attractive shape.
Removing any diseased or damaged branches and any dead growth.
Encouraging a second flowering.
Removing suckers and prevent the plant spreading via suckering.
Some varieties of spirea produce suckers.
Suckers are shoots that emerge from the roots of the plant.
Suckers are eventually capable of producing independent plants of their own; suckering is one of the ways that spirea reproduces.
Pinch or prune these off if you don’t want your spirea to spread in your garden.
The specifics of how to do this will be covered in the next section. , Dead, diseased, and broken branches should be removed at any time of the year but you should only prune healthy plant growth at the right time.
If you have Japanese or Bumald Spirea, prune them in early spring before the flowering season starts.
Other varieties of Spirea should be pruned after the flowering has finished.
For varieties of Spirea that bloom in spring, that will usually be late spring.
For varieties of Spirea that bloom in summer, that will usually be late summer or fall. , Pruning after flowering allows the maximum amount of time for the plant to grow fresh growth after pruning before the flowering season starts again the following year.
It isn’t a disaster if you delay pruning, and this won’t harm the plant, but your spirea will offer less of a display in the next flowering season.
About the Author
Alexander Vasquez
Creates helpful guides on crafts to inspire and educate readers.
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