When can you trim barberries

To sidestep this problem, cut it back in early spring to two feet shorter than the finished height you want, then let it grow all year. Think you have it bad, handling Berberis thunbergii , the Japanese barberry species below, left that includes 'Rosy Glow,' 'Crimson Pygmy', and 'Gold Nugget'? Maybe you don't know about all the other barberries, some with very long, stiff spines below, right Even evergreen barberries shed leaves periodically, so there is finger-piercing material on the ground around these plants even if you keep them cut every few years to prevent brittle branch fall-out.

To read more Sponsor-recommended articles You can Sponsor us! Home What's Up! Healthy, fast growing species give us lots of leeway to deviate. Timing makes a difference Plant health, hardness of cut and our timing make a difference. Cut back barberry? This is illustrated in Barberry Pruning We try not to complain. Selective pruning can be used to cut the rest of the shrub into the desired shape and size. Sharp pruning shears cut the younger branches effectively, and a pruning saw is well suited for older, thicker branches.

Barberry pruning to remove dead or broken branches can be performed any time of year. Diseased wood should also be removed immediately. The cut should be made in healthy wood about 2 inches 5 cm or more below the damaged or diseased area. When pruning diseased wood, tools should be cleaned with alcohol or another disinfectant between each cut to prevent the spread of disease.

Please enter the following code:. Start by investing in a good pair of leather gardening gloves as these bushes have barbs that can be very painful. The ultimate goal is to reduce the bush by one third. Cut out the larger older stems right to the ground. Remove any dead, broken or crossing branches at the top to encourage an open canopy. You can cut back some of the new growth also by a third. Finish by top dressing your hedge with a layer of compost for nutrients and mulch to retain water.

Skip to content. The same pruning technique can be used if they are planted as a specimen. For these plants, pruning should be done in the early spring, before they leaf out. Shear or prune the outer branch tips to shape and reduce the size of the plant.

Repeat this pruning technique throughout the summer, as needed. If you are forming a hedge, allow light to reach all areas of the hedge by leaving the base of the plants wider than the top.

This will help prevent the lower branches from dying. This is done by pruning out small holes in the surface of the hedge to let light reach the interior of the plant and promote inside budding.