Pruning Spirea Shrubs Learn About Trimming Spirea Plants

You should actually prune your spirea more than once a year, at least twice. Give it a good trim after it flowers in the spring by cutting back the tips of the stems to the top leaf bud. This removes the dead blossoms and also may trigger a second blooming and new leaf growth. You can also shape the shrub at this time.

Can I cut my spirea to the ground?

The spirea species (Spiraea spp.) ... To control the spirea's size and keep it blooming year after year, you should prune it back after blooming or when it's dormant in winter. If it's severely overgrown, cut it to the ground to rejuvenate the shrub.

How do you prune an overgrown bridal wreath spirea?

Using bypass loppers or a small pruning saw, cut each branch as close to the ground or base of the plant as possible. As you remove each branch, step back and look at the shrub. Then remove the next branch. Repeat until you've cut out 1/3 of the oldest growth.

When should shrubs be trimmed?

The best time to rejuvenate large, overgrown shrubs is late winter or early spring (March or early April). Heavy pruning in late winter or early spring will reduce or eliminate the flower display for 2 or 3 years. However, rejuvenation pruning will restore the health of the shrubs.

How do you take care of spirea bushes?

Keep newly planted spireas well-watered until they become established. Mature spireas are drought tolerant and only need watering when the soil becomes dry. Spireas don't like wet feet, so avoid oversaturating the soil.

When should you cut back spirea bushes?

More drastically cutting back spirea should occur in the fall or in late winter to early spring. Remove any dead branches and use this trimming to shape the shrub. Cutting it way back will stimulate new growth in tighter clusters so that you can get a more rounded, compact shrub shape.

Does spirea bloom on old wood?

If your spirea bloom in the spring, They are likely Spiraea prunifolia or Spiraea x vanhouttei and they bloom on "old wood" or the previous year's growth. These should be cut back after blooming in 2016.

How do you rejuvenate a wedding spirea wreath?

With time, bridal wreath tends to become sparse and leggy. To rejuvenate a spirea, you can cut it almost to the ground, and it will grow back in a healthier state. Remember to clean your pruning shears with household disinfectant at full strength to avoid spreading bacteria, viruses or fungi.

Do you cut back weigela in the fall?

Although summer pruning is best for weigelas because of their standard bloom time, fall pruning in November isn't going to kill your weigela, especially if you live in a mild climate. You won't get a flush of new blooms in spring and summer because a fall pruning will remove all buds.

Can you cut back bridal wreath?

They bloom in the spring from flower buds that formed on the branches the previous summer. Therefore, pruning in late summer, fall or winter will remove flower buds effecting the spring bloom. ... After all the flowers have faded in spring, you can prune to shape your Bridal Wreath Spirea or to reduce it's size.

Can trimming a bush kill it?

Over pruning reduces the foliage that's available for making food for the rest of the plant and can allow pests and diseases access to the tree, if cuts are made incorrectly. ... So, although pruning may not kill your plant directly, over pruned trees and shrubs can die as a long term result of the associated stress.

When should you not cut hedges?

We recommend avoiding hedge cutting during the main breeding season for nesting birds, which usually runs throughout March to August each year. This can be weather dependent and some birds may nest outside this period, so it is important to always check carefully for active nests prior to cutting.

How far can you cut back a burning bush?

If you need to rejuvenate your burning bush and encourage new growth, cut back the entire shrub to a height of 6 to 12 inches. Prior to pruning, be sure to disinfect the pruning shears and hedge clippers. This will prevent diseases from spreading around your yard and garden.

Do you deadhead spirea bushes?

Deadheading: This is merely the practice of clipping off old flowers to stimulate the growth of new foliage and blossoms. ... Pink flowering spirea should also be deadheaded. You can cut off old flowers using a pruners, hedge shears or an electric shearing tool.

How far can you cut back spirea?

Trim back overgrown spireas or those that produced sparse foliage on the lower stems severely in fall after the foliage begins to fall off, to keep the shrubs shaped and compact. Cut back each stem to within 8 to 12 inches of the ground.

Is spirea annual or perennial?

Spireas are small to medium sized deciduous shrubs that produce cascades of flowers in spring and summer. Among the easiest flowering shrubs to grow, spireas are often used in foundation plantings, as hedges, and in perennial gardens. Most spireas bloom in late spring to midsummer.

Can spirea grow in shade?

The spirea shrub does best when planted in full sun or light shade. Planting the shrub in full shade results in stunted growth, and a reduction in the number and size of blooms. Position your spirea in an area with well-drained soil, as they do not like wet feet.

How do you prune a hydrangea bush?

To get bigger flowers, cut them all the way back

In late winter or early spring, these shrubs can be cut all the way back to the ground. Smooth hydrangeas will produce much larger blooms if pruned hard like this each year, but many gardeners opt for smaller blooms on sturdier stems.

Is spirea an evergreen?

Spirea (Spirea spp.), a group of plants belonging to the rose family, are a group of deciduous shrubs that originated in Central and Eastern Asia. ... Because they lose their leaves every year, spirea are not considered an evergreen plant.

How long do spirea bushes bloom?

They can range in height as low as 18 inches or as tall as 48 inches. For a shrub, they are considered long blooming, and their flowers easily tolerate the heat so their bloom time isn't rushed as a result of a heatwave. You can plan on them blooming a good five weeks or so.

What can I plant next to spirea?

They look especially good paired with bigleaf hydrangeas. Or set them near clumps of hostas that will take some sun. Since spirea blossoms are mainly flat clusters, contrast the flower shapes you plant nearby. Narrow purple spikes of salvia or upright plumes of astilbe add nice variety.

How tall does spirea get?

Plant sizes vary by species and cultivar, and they range from 1½ to 8 feet tall. There are many species of spireas (greater than 80), but only the most commonly encountered species and cultivars are included here.