When to prune flowering shrubs

What’s the secret of transitioning from a competent gardener to a confident one? Pruning! Though pruning shrubs strikes fear into the hearts of many, it is actually a simple and rewarding process.

All you need to do to master it is to understand a few basic principles behind the why, when, and how of pruning shrubs.

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Once you implement these ideas and techniques, you’ll have more flowers and healthier plants in your garden that same season. 

Why should I prune a shrub?

When in doubt, don’t prune! Most shrubs don’t require regular pruning in order to be healthy and beautiful.
When you consider pruning a shrub in your yard, first ask yourself why you want to prune it.

Every subsequent decision you’ll make in pruning depends on the reason why you are pruning in the first place, so never prune without a reason.
Reasons you may want to prune a shrub:

• Improve flowering and fruiting
• Improve stem color on plants like dogwood
• Improve the plant’s habit or shape
• Encourage rebloom
• Neaten a plant’s appearance by removi
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