This will give plants a boost after pruning and help make sure they respond well.

Any plant which responds well to extreme pruning should be cut back to just above ground level. This will let the plant re-establish itself with new shoots. If you are not sure if a plant can survive a severe pruning, take a cutting first so that you can easily regrow the plant. So there we have it, your guide on when to prune your shrubclean.barted Reading Time: 9 mins.

Proper timing helps to insure attractive, healthy, productive plants.

The best time to prune is after flowering. If the plant needs to be renovated, or severely reduced, this can be done late winter and early spring just before growth begins. Remove old flowers (deadhead) and cut back to healthy outward facing buds.For instance, flowering and fruiting plants prefer to be cut back in late winter or early spring to spur a hearty crop.

Trees and shrubs that bloom in the spring start setting new buds as soon as the old flowers have fallen, so it's crucial to prune before those new buds come in. And many other plants need continual trimming to remain vigorous.Cut back shrubs grown primarily for their foliage, like barberry and burning bush, almost anytime except in late autumn.

New growth that starts after late-season pruning won't harden off properly before winter.

When the shrubs are on their way to dormancy, I have a tendency to get a little too happy with my hedge trimmers.

If you want to do major pruning, it's best to cut the shrub back when it is dormant in winter.Now is the time to cut back some of the shoots that have flowered to encourage those new shoots that are already emerging lower down on the plants.

The great thing about these shrubs is that they tell you where to cut.

The new growth that will bloom next year starts to grow early, so those shoots are the ones to keep and encourage.If you prune during fall or winter, you will cut off these potential blooms, resulting in little to no growth the following spring. If you need to maintain size or remove dead wood, prune Estimated Reading Time: 5 mins.

 When To Prune Pieris. Since Pieris are in pruning group 8, they should always be pruned immediately after flowering, in spring. Most Pieris will bloom between March and May. So May or early June is a good time to prune, and also a good time to take any cuttings for plant propagation. Like other shrubs in this group, they require little pruning.