When to trim bushes

For most shrubs, prune during the dormant season from late winter to early spring, but prune spring-flowering shrubs like lilacs right after they finish blooming.

The window: Most landscape shrubs: the dormant season, late winter to early spring. Summer-flowering shrubs: late winter or early spring, before growth begins. Spring-flowering shrubs (such as lilacs): immediately after flowering.

The plant's growth habit, bloom time, and health or condition determine the proper time to prune a deciduous shrub.
Spring-flowering shrubs such as lilacs should be pruned immediately after flowering, since their flowers form on the previous year's growth.
Summer-flowering shrubs should be pruned in late winter or early spring before growth begins.
Damaged, dead, and diseased branches can be pruned at any time of year and should be removed as soon as possible to promote plant health.

The mistake to avoid: Do not prune early spring flowering shrubs such as lilacs during the dormant season, because that removes the previous year's growth that would have carried this year's flowers.

Timing varies by region and year, so your local extension office is the closest authority for your specific shrubs.

Grounded in: montana.edu, yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu. Every timing follows sentences verified verbatim on those pages.

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