The compact variety can grow to 12 tall or taller, but at the same time I’ve kept mine in my landscape trimmed to about 42″ for years.
Burning Bush only puts out one really hard push of new growth each year in the spring. So if you trim your Burning Bush after that happens it will pretty much stay at the size that you want it forever.
More than three years later, here’s what that burning bush looks like now…
My husband hard pruned a row of healthy burning bushes last fall. He pruned down to 2-3 feet off the ground, not as far down as we had gone last time we did it about 10 years ago. They came back in the spring with healthy leaves near the base and a few spindly branches with some leaves coming off of the old, thick limbs toward the top. Many of the old thick limbs didn’t sprout any growth at all this year. Over the summer the leaves on the spindly branches curled up and have mostly fallen off. These were beautiful bushes but now they look terrible. Should we cut them down to where there is good healthy growth this year or give them a couple years to recover. We suspect he didn’t go close enough to the ground for a rejuvenation pruning but we’re not really sure what is wrong. Any advice? We get a lot of snow with hard frost usually early October so fall is almost upon us. P.s. your videos and advice are great.
Jackie,
I think just keep the new growth trimmed so it’s even. They should fill in nicely, then each year, once they are where you want them, cut off all the new growth so they can’t get too tall again.
Thank you!
Hi Mike,
We have a line of burning bushes behind our fence in the back yard. In late March I pruned them back pretty good. When I did this they we still all sticks with little budding growth showing. Every thing grew back great, filled in with new growth and was thriving. We are located in South Jersey and are currently experiencing our 3rd heat wave.
In the past I have never watered these bushes and we have experienced heat waves, however one section of our bushes is dying, the leave are falling off and the bush is not becoming bare. Not sure what i should or could do at this point. Will it come back or is it a loss?
Michael,
It wouldn’t hurt to water them but it could be spider mites. They often suck on the leaves until they fall off early. Usually doesn’t really harm the plant.
Hi Mike,
I live in southeastern Massachusetts and my husband just cut our 22 yo burning bush down to about 2″ leaving just exposed rooted branches and very few leaves. Seeing as it is summer and not a good time to do this, what are the chances the bush will survive? How long before we see regrowth and have a thriving bush? It provided an established look to our landscape and added privacy, and I am heartbroken it’s gone ;(
Thanks,
Leslie
Leslie,
Your timing is not good, but I think it’s still got a chance. Give it some time.
Hello! Unsure if you still check this thread but it is May 17 and i’m in Kansas City, MO. I was so sick of my burning bush overgrowing that i cut it all down to about 3 feet. Am I doomed to no more growth this year and is there hope that it may return next spring? I don’t love this bush so I was willing to risk it but wondering what i’ve done 🙂
Amanda,
If you just pruned it you pretty much picked a bad time to do so, but if it puts out some new buds, or still has some leaves, it will probably come back. If you are not in love with it I’d get somebody to dig it out and put something there that you like.
I’m from KC area as well. Went after mine this year right before it began to bud out. Whacked it back pretty severely from about 8′ down to 4′ or so. It’s completely again full by mid-June and my wife is already complaining it’s too tall again. My question is this: I have noticed a lot more new growth at the ground (roots) surrounding the base (major branches/trunk) the base of both bushes. II’m assuming it’s just the plant wanting to do its thing, but it’s a little unsightly. Can I keep all that clipped/trimmed back without injuring the plant’s root system?
John,
You can remove that lower growth. In reality, shrubs like this might just be too big for the area that they are in and eventually are removed. Burning bush is a fibrous rooted plant so digging them out isn’t horrible.
Hi Mike,
I have a row of burning bushes along a fence that were probably 10 ft high. We are in zone 5b in Western Massachusetts. Last weekend we cut them down to just below our fence line. We cut off alot of new green growth, however, there were no buds or leaves yet. Any chance they will sprout new branches this year? Or are we better off cutting them all the way down at this point so they aren’t bare all summer? I don’t particularly like them anyway!
Thank you!
Amy,
This is about the worst time to cut them back hard. If they survive, and they probably will, they’ll make some new buds this year. But they will not be very full. If you really don’t like them, I’d get them out sooner than later. Even after cutting them back, they’ll still grow back to the height that they were. The stumps are not horrible to dig out, they only have fibrous roots. Search on this site for stump removal instructions.
Upstate NY zone 6. Ours are way overgrown and would like to cut them way back. They are just beginning to bud. is it to late to trim them hard.
Ed,
Certainly not the ideal time. November is better.
Hi Mike, last year I pruned my burning bushes way back to about 4 feet (they were probably (7-8) one is coming back just fine, the other only one branch is showing growth. Should I cut all the dead off and hope for the best? There’s probably a good 4 or 5 main trunks on it.
Lisa,
Check the branches fist. Scrape the bark looking for green tissue beneath. If it’s not green the branch is dead.
Hi Mike,
We have two burning bushes about 10 feet tall and 10 feet wide. It is 3-28-24 in Buffalo (Zone 6). We have had a mild Winter with a few warm days last month already in the 60s. There are no buds on them as of yet, but the local Willow trees are already starting to get leaves. Can I cut the burning bush back about 2 feet both in height and width and will they still flush out in a month or two?
Thank you!
Jack
Jack,
Yes and no. Cutting them back that hard this late in the season means that could lose them and you will get very sparse growth this year. You have to decide if it’s worth the chance.
Mike
It is 11/11 in Illinois
There are still some leaves on my BB. Should I wait to trim them?
Matt,
Probably not, doing now should be fine.
I have 11 year old burning bushes that have grown beautifully, through out the years. there are 5 in total facing south west.. However, the last two years two bushes continue to grow, but remain silver in color twigs do not become green, nor leave. i have checked for bugs, stripping by critters…all negative. Three continue to leave and turn their bright red color. But two in between the three do not leave in the following order.. From the left the first leaves, the second does not, then the third leaves, but the forth, does not, and the last fifth eaves. There is plenty of space about 3 feet apart each. I did the finger scrape test and I see green wood. Confounded….what could it be? should i transplant into a different location? And transplant during fall/winter? TY for your wonderful comments
Jaan,
Are you in a warmer climate? Sometimes burning bush act that way if in too warm of a climate. They thrive in zones, 5, 6 and 7. If you decide to transplant do so in the late fall.
I live in central Ohio (zone 6a) & bought a 1961 house that has a burning bush approx. 15’-18’ tall that numerous birds nest & use for protection from hawks.
I would like to trim it back so that there is more room between my house & the neighbor’s house to mow. I don’t want to cut it too extreme so it’s available for birds to nest but would like them to be about 8’ tall. From all your replies it seems that is possible and should be done in the next couple months. So should I cut it back to around 6-7’ so I can maintain them to 8’ or something else?
Yes you can do that. Cut it so you can reach the top to keep new growth trimmed off each year. Do it soon.
Thank you!
Hi, my husband and I pruned two of our burning bushes way down but didn’t realize this needed to be done while the plant was dormant and realizing now our mistake. The spring growth has already come in. There are some leafed branches left, but not many. Did we likely kill our plants? I’m wondering if either 1) they will put out any new growth at this point or 2) the remaining branches will be enough to fuel the plant enough to keep it alive until next spring’s growth.
Sharon,
I’m guessing they’ll be fine. Burning bush for the most part only put out a flush of new growth in early spring so just be patient.
Thanks Mike. We have time to wait. Just may be ugly for a year. 🙂
What happened to the bush? Did you get a full smaller bush the next spring?
HI MIKE,
I planted about 6 seedlings that were under my Burning Bush………..there were hundreds of them so, yes, I’m sure that’s what they were.
Today, I have a 4 foot shrub that has NEVER shown an ounce of fall color. ????
What is wrong.? Please help. Thanks
Alice,
Burning bush can do that, it often means it’s not getting enough sunlight if it doesn’t change in the fall. The ones out in the open seem to turn the reddest.
Hello Mike,
I bought a beautiful dwarf burning bush back in 2019. I planted it on a slope and unfortunately some branches on one side of the bush cracked off under the weight of the snow we had. The branches never grew back, so it is now completely one sided. Do you recommend pruning it all to the ground or just letting it grow as it is? The side that cracked off isn’t putting on any new growth at all. Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks!
PLB,
I wouldn’t prune it like that at this time of the year. Not sure I’d prune it all. ????
That is NOT helpful advice ????
Whaddya mean? He says don’t prune it at all, but if you must not at this time of year. That’s not helpful? What were you expecting? Magic Wand? Sheesh, some people’s ungrateful children.
I want to trim the 4 bushes in my front landscaping back to be about half the size they are now. Not sure what kind they are but I could send a picture. Should I trim them now or wait until winter?
Lindsay,
Winter is best or early spring before they leaf out.
Lindsay, download the app “Picure This” its free (with ads) Just take a picture of your plant and it will identify it for you. It does other stuff like assess diseases, watering, etc. I use it daily.
Hi Mike,
I recently purchased a Dwarf Burning Bush but didn’t get a chance to plant it. I have it inside my house right now. Do you think it will survive till spring when I can plant it? Thank you for any advice. I live in New Jersey.
Kathleen
Kathleen,
It needs to be outside where it can go dormant. Either plant it or put it in a protected area, but planting it is way better.
Dear Mike,
We had four burning bushes planted this spring. The summer temps reached 102, plus it was very dry. I tried to keep up watering, but do to a health issue, I was unable to water the plants. Sadly, the leaves are dry and falling off. In addition, a rabbit has eaten some of the lower branches. I can see green in the branches and stems, so despite the brown leaves, I m praying that’s a good sign.
Should I cut the plant back in November and hope it survives?
Thank you!
Tammy Lagoski
[email protected]
.
Tammy,
Only if they need pruning. Otherwise I’d just leave them until spring. They might come back just fine. This is how you test to see if a plant, or a branch on a plant has died. Just scratch the bark of your plants with your finger nail. If the tissue below the bark is green and firm your plants are fine. If the tissue is brown and mushy that part of the plant is dead.
I have alot of lilac bushes that are probably 12ft wide by 8ft tall. There is a lot of dead mixed in with the live. Can I just take a chainsaw and cut them all down to about a foot tall or so? Or would there be a better method you would suggest?
Brianne,
Me? I’d do exactly as you describe. Then you can pull out some of the really dead wood in the spring. Professionals? They’ll criticize me for making this recommendation.
I agree with Mike, but to hedge my bets, I would cut the center third out this year, and then either side the next year, and whats left the 3rd year.. That way if it dies, you don’t lose the whole thing. If it lives, the whole thing will be brand new. eventually.
I have a Burning Bush that I want to save. Trimmed the dead wood back this spring. Now another section just died. Should I just cut it all off and let it start over again. Or just let it be and hope for the best.
Gene,
Me? I’d wait until November then cut the entire plant back hard.
Hi Mike – I have 5′ burning bushes on a south facing exposure. They never lost their leaves from last fall and aren’t leafing out as usual. Our spring here in CO has been crazy with late freezes. Do I just need to cut off the branches that aren’t green and start over?
Beth,
Remove any dead wood. This is how you test to see if a plant, or a branch on a plant has died. Just scratch the bark of your plants with your finger nail. If the tissue below the bark is green and firm your plants are fine. If the tissue is brown and mushy that part of the plant is dead.
It is May 15 and I want to cut back my burning bush. Not much- about 6”. Our nights and early morning.s are still 40’s and 50s. Should I wait till fall so I won’t lose the color.? They are 4 yrs old. Thanks
Martha,
As long as you are not doing drastic pruning you can do that at any time of the year.
Great information, Mike.
I just cut down two burning bush that were about 9 ft. tall, 9 ft. wide, 30 years old. The remaining stumps are about 2-3 ft. tall. What can I do to get them to come back as fast as possible? I just don’t want them to be an eyesore any longer than they have to be.
Paul,
The short answer is nothing you can do to speed them up. They’ll come back, but burning bush really only put on one flush of new growth per growing season.
That may be almost true but to ensure rapid growth and to speed up recovery time and plants canopy density and apperance deep root fertilization followed by light clean cut pruning 1-2inches of new growth shoots
early to mid way through it’s growth spurt( 3-4 inches into growth spurt)can double or triple plants first year recovery canopy density dramatically decreases looks of sticks and stubs left after heavy rejuvenation pruning
we live in N E Ohio tempeture in the 40 we have about 6 burning bushes that are around 7 ft tall . When is a good time to cut them back and how far would be good
Alane,
Now would be a great time. You can cut them back as much as you’d like to, down to 24″ or so. There’s always a risk when you prune something that hard, but for me it’s always worked out well.
I need to cut back 3 burning bushes planted together. They are taking over the corner of my house and I have to have some repairs made there ASAP. The leaves have fallen and the nights are in the 30’s here now. Is it too early to cut them back about 50% right now?
Tracy,
Now is fine, go ahead and cut them.
I have a question about softwood cuttings. I had to sell my house after a fire last year because I cannot afford to restore it and there was a mix up with my Homeowner’s insurance. I want to take some cuttings and try to root them but I did not get to them in June and they are no longer soft wood. I can probably go back for some cuttings while the house is being restored by a builder who will eventually sell it. The restoration companies that I got estimates from all said it could take a year to fix enough to pass township codes so I have time. I dug up some small shade plants but did not get all of them either. Some got too big too fast and I missed the chance to dig them when they were small. I plan to go back for more of them too once I find a house to buy where I can have a new shade garden. I have several small hostas and silver frosted brunnera I want to take pieces of (I don’t need to take large clumps) and a lot of helebores and several epimediums I want but first I need a house to move to. It has been a tough year for real estate and there are not a lot of houses for sale and the good ones get snapped up fast but I am still looking. Should I try to take hardwood cuttings of wigelia and hydrangea or wait until next Spring? I found a large bag of sand that is coarse compared to beach sand but very homogeneous; should It try to add something to be sure it drains well? My boyfriend was building a stone wall and was using the sand with cement mix to make mortar and left it all behind and unfinished so I filled a small bucket with some of it. I have some small pieces of organic matter that came from potting soil from commercially planted hanging planters that drained too fast; I filtered out the pieces that were larger than potting soil and kept them for future use, which might be now. I also have a bag of small stone pieces we used between the slate tiles on the patio but they seem too large. Think they are called pea gravel. Thanks for all your good advice on garden planning and pruning. I hope to have a new sun garden also and it will be fun starting all over with new plants. The only ones I am taking are some sedums and rudbekia that got too tall this year because I wasn’t there to pinch them back earlier in the season. They
seed all over and I have one growing in a large container of herbs that I will also take with me. My big sun garden is overrun with weeds and volunteer hybrid golden rod and mixed colors of phlox that cross fertilized and created some nice pink and purple colors but they are too hard to get to now.
Ruth, do hardwood cuttings of the weigela and hydrangea. Hardwood cuttings do well in a well draining potting mix. Probably better than sand, but I’ve used both.
Love your informative videos, Mike! Everything you mentioned about the burning bush…will it also apply to Privets? I am trying to coax a row of young provers to be full and thick as they grow in order or create a privacy hedge screening out a next door wasteland.
I meant privet, not “provers” darn auto fill!
Alan,
Absolutely, cut them back to make them fill in nicely.
My dad has a burning bush that he’s built a large porch over. Before building the porch he cut it down to the ground, put herbicide on it, then covered it with a piece of vinyl. We have now discovered it growing from under the vinyl and the porch floor. Any suggestions on how to kill this once and for all without having to take a lot of time to do so?
Mandy,
You can dig out the stump, they really are not that difficult to dig. https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2010/06/tree-stump-removal-instructions/ Or cut it all the way flush with the ground and cover a tarp then a thick layer of mulch. But really, if you just cut it to the ground and immediately remove any sprouts that appear it will not survive.
5/31/2020. Hi Sir. I live Kentucky and I am trying to find something to do to keep busy around the house because im still off of work because of the virus thing. I have 2 burning bushes id like to cut back to at least half the size they are now. Should I wait to cut them in the fall or if only cutting them back to about half the mass they are now would it be safe to do it now? Thanks for your advice.
Jamie,
cutting them that much now is a bit of a gamble but if you leave plenty of leaves it might be okay, but no promises.
Thank you sir for your reply.. Thanks also for your advice.
Thank you for your site – very helpful! I have burning bushes that are huge and old – they’ve just started to bud. Is it too late to cut them way back now?
Page, it’s a bit late but if the leaves have not yet unfurled then it’s probably okay. But . . . I never make any promises with plants.
Sorry for asking this. My MASSIVE burning bush is about 12-14 feet in diameter. I need to re-grade my backyard and raise the ground level around the bush by about 6 inches to prevent flooding into my house. In order to do that, I need to trim back the bush. Now that I have seen your video and read a lot of questions/replies, I am really nervous about severely cutting back the bush right now at the beginning of October. The leaves are 50% red now. The daily temp is about 50-60 degrees and nights are now mid 30-40’s. How safe is it to reduce the size by at least 50%? Or do I need to wait until maybe late Oct/early Nov. I HAVE to do the regrading to prevent flooding. Many many thanks!!! Cath
Catherine,
You could probably do it now, but waiting is always a better bet. Just be careful about putting more soil up around the trunk of the plant. That’s never a good thing. Keep the soil pulled back from around the stem of the plant.
We have several burning bushes in our yard, after last winter most of them did not leaf out (similar situation all over our neighborhood). Can we prune them way back like in the video and they will recover or are they goners? Can I do this in September since the branches seem dead anyway or should I wait?
Thanks.
Jen,
If the branches are dead it won’t hurt to cut them now. This is how you test to see if a plant, or a branch on a plant has died. Just scratch the bark of your plants with your finger nail. If the tissue below the bark is green and firm your plants are fine. If the tissue is brown and mushy that part of the plant is dead.
I have the same situation. How far back should I cut them? A few tried to leaf at the bottom, but the top breaks when you bend the branch. Thank you!
Husband wants to plant burning bushes along our cyclone fence. How far from the fence should I plant in order for bush to have red foliage a full 360
He wants to prevent trimming the grass along the fence line.
Kathleen,
I’d say at least 48″ but five feet would be better and you would have to keep them trimmed hard once they reach the size you want them. One good pruning per year should keep them in check.
Just moved to our new property, which used to be a nursery. Discovered 2 burning Bush growing in the fence line beside a tree where we put the driveway. Had our dozer guy leave these. My husband went out to clear some brush out by the road & yes, he cut them down almost to the ground!!! Will these come back if he leaves them alone???
Pam,
More than likely they’ll come back, but it will take a couple of years.
Hi Mike.
Thanks for all your information
I have cut back my Burning bushes in the spring, fall and winter. The following year depending on weather conditions I will be trimming off any where from 12 to 18 inches of new growth.
After watching the video I’m going to cut a few way back and see if I can skip a year or two in between prunings.
We pruned our burning bush quite a bit (I’d say probably two thirds back) a few years ago in the early spring. We haven’t touched it since, and it has grown back but no longer turns red. It was beautifully red in the fall prior to the big pruning. Now it only turns burgundy on top and the bottom stays green. Why? It is in a partially shaded spot but was very vibrant before the pruning. This is now the 3rd fall in a row where it has refused to turn bright red. What can we do?
Sydney,
Burning bush that don’t turn red is one of those perplexing things that I’ve never really gotten a good answer to. Full sun seems to be what they need to turn nicely.
Hello! I have two burning bushes planted in the front of the house in a southern exposure. They have been in the ground for four years. Yet, they have never turned red in the fall. Why? Is there a way to encourage the red color to come out–besides making sure they have full sun?
Nikki,
I wish I could answer that but I really don’t know.
They usually do best if they have a lot of sun.
They need iron
why are they wrinkled
That is because you cut off the tips, which are where the beautiful red colour is in the fall. Trimming burning bush reduce the dramatic foliage.
my burning bushes will not turn red if I trimmed them that season. So I always waiting until fall, after they turn red before pruning.
Sounds like your soil maybe too alkaline. Better leaf colour on most shrubs/trees comes from more acidic soil Maybe try adding some ericaceous compost or some organic matter.
Best answer ive read so far, thanks!
I live in Spokane Washington and we have a burning bush in the front of our house that is about 6 feet tall and wide. It is 25 years old. We have never had any trouble with it and have always watered the same with the sprinkler system. Over the past 3 weeks its leaves have curled up and turned brown, a little bit more each day, the front and one side. It has always been a beautiful bush. We have had very warm weather 90’s. Took a piece of branch to gardeners and they say it is root rot. I don’t understand how that can happen as it has been the same for 25 years. We have always trimmed the bush this year we did not. Help.
Shelley,
I tend to agree with you but as soon as you mentioned sprinkler system my heart sank. Daily water is way too much for most all plants. Is it possible that the grade around the house has changed do to settling? Could be an insect, spider mites for sure attack burning bush if I remember correctly. This is how you test to see if a plant, or a branch on a plant has died. Just scratch the bark of your plants with your finger nail. If the tissue below the bark is green and firm your plants are fine. If the tissue is brown and mushy that part of the plant is dead.
Hello Mike, I’m visiting my mom here in Noblesville and wondering if it’s too late in the season (today is March 8th) for a hard pruning of here euonymous shrubs this week. It looks like a number of trees are budding out but it’s not clear to me if the euonymous is starting to or if these are last falls growth. Can you direct me?
Penny,
You should probably be fine, they’ll be pretty sparse this year.
I came home September 15th to see how the burning bush was doing and it turns out my father saw your video without doing any research and took the saw to the bush. Just before it was going to turn red..
Now we have a 2 foot stumpy looking thing that will probably die in the winter.
Anyway I can prevent as much damage as i can before the frost starts? The frost should be coming in about 2-3 weeks from now (live in Nova Scotia Canada)
Thank you
Morgan,
At this point I wouldn’t be concerned, it should come back fine in the spring. It will come back slowly, but it will come back.
Mike our burning bushes are about 40 inches and 4 years old.
Came back in late fall and also in winter to find rabbits had chewed many of the tips and any buds. Bark appears to be untouched.
It’s May and I don’t see any budding going on. Any thoughts?
Look closely just above the soil, they might have girdled the plants down low. This is how you test to see if a plant, or a branch on a plant has died. Just scratch the bark of your plants with your finger nail. If the tissue below the bark is green and firm your plants are fine. If the tissue is brown and mushy that part of the plant is dead.
I know these posts are not current but Burning bush is now on the invasive species list in my area – NY. It should be pruned from the landscape entirely! Throw the cuttings into a plastic bag and let them rot before putting them out for garbage collection so they don’t root. It’s illegal to transpor or sell or propagate this plant here!
I have two butterfly bushes that are taking over my garden. Can I trim them down now using this procedure?
Mary,
The time to do this kind of pruning is when the plants are completely dormant.
My burning bush has not been trimmed back for 3 years and it is by our pool and about 4 times the size of the first bush shown. Can it still be cut back that far? And it is July in Ohio can I cut it back about half now and then really cut it back when dormant or what would be my best option.
Cynhia,
I’ wait and prune it when the plant is completely dormant. It can cut some now, but not severely.
Hi Mike, my nephew cut my burning bushes completely down to the stump a couple of days ago. Will these eventually grow back, or have I lost these for good? I really loved those shrubs, but they were way out of control.
Tara,
I don’t honestly know, you couldn’t have picked a worse time of year to cut them that hard, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they did come back.
We live in South Dakota and our season has just started. We need to replace windows so want to cut our very oversized burning bush back. Are we better off to just trim enough to replace windows and then cut it way back before the snow flies or can we take our chance and do it now knowing that it will look bad for this year? We just don’t want to kill it if possible.
Deb,
I’d cut it just enough now to get the windows replaced then cut really hard after Thanksgiving.
Mike, we have three burning bushes that are growing in a peanut shaped mound. Been there almost 20 years. 3 years ago one of the bushes on the end looked like it died. It was fine one day and over a couple of weeks, looked dead. It happened right about the time it was turning red in the fall. We left it and the next year it started growing again rapidly. We noticed the branches and leaves looked different. When fall came, it didn’t turn red. It grows about the same height as the other two so again we left it. I swore it was just something else growing in its place but my husband traced the branches back to the original plant. Have you ever heard of this before? The dying off and then looking mutant?
Lynn,
This seems a bit puzzling. First thing is to check the stems. Burning bush have a very unique stem with the ridges on the bark. Very few other plants have that. See this page, but make sure you are looking at the right photos. The heavily winged branches are a different kind of burning bush. https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/02/is-burning-bush-really-an-invasive-species/
The thing that would make it look dead in the fall are spider mites. Spider mites are pretty much invisible but they will completely defoliate a burning bush in late summer, next year the plant grows just fine.
My husband is going to hard prune them, so we will see! I could send you a picture to see what you think??
No pictures please, I don’t see incoming Email anyway.
hi mike, we had an issue with a couple of our burning bushings having no leaves or growth produced on large portions of the bush. My mother said it could be fungus preventing it, but those parts just look dead. While all the rest look great. Just chop them all? Or spray them with something? These are only 3-4 years old. Thanks Mike
Michael,
If they had no leaves, even in the spring, probably winter damage or rabbit or mouse damage. Look for chewing damage near the bottom of the stem. Just cut those branches back and trim up the rest of the plant to match. Heavy pruning is best done during the winter months. If they had leaves and lost them in the summer, probably spider mites. You can spray for mites. They seldom do a lot of damage to the plant, just knock the leaves off early.
Hi Mike, you’re great. Landscaper coming tomorrow. Can he prune back my burning bush a 1/3 to a 1/2. In Cleveland, Ohio. Thanks you.
Judy,
Now is not the ideal time, the ideal time would be around Thanksgiving when they are dormant. If he does it now will they survive? Probably, but I don’t want to promise that. If he can cut them and still leave a lot of leaves that would be better.
I would like to transplant a cut leaf Japanese maple. How should I do this? It is very low and spread out.
Thanks, Arlene
Here you go Arlene,
https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2014/03/transplanting-japanese-maple-trees-in-3-easy-steps/
We should be pruning our burning bush down the ground and not letting them grow back – they are extremely INVASIVE and it is now illegal to sell or transport them in New York as well as many other states. Please, please, pleaaase, for the health of our precious and disappearing woodlands, please remove your burning bush shrubs and replace them with a beautiful and easy to grow native. The wildlife and your children and grandchildren will thank you.
Ellesse,
You are a nut.
Ever take a walk in the woods on the East coast? The woods have been taken over by this trash plant
If they take out a couple thousand “very invasive, over populated, noise making, poluting” birds that poop all over the place and spread disease, I’ll plant more!
-yeah Amen (a nut); “Save The Planet Man”!
(‘Lord already did that-!).
you must have a different bush in mind then what’s being discussed here. Mine has been in place for 30 years and does not propagate new plants so how can it “take over”? It can grow enormously tall and wide but doesn’t spread. It doesn’t come up as being considered invasive on any website that identifies invasive species for an area – plus most will indicate level of harm or severity.
Mike- During a particularly harsh winter, rabbits ate most of the cambium layer of my established 5 foot burning bushes in the front (east side) of my house in upstate NY. The damage caused death to half of each plant. I cut each plant down to below the damage because I’m trying to save them. Now each plant is only 1 foot tall. I then learned by your post, pruning should have been done right before dormancy.
I’m mourning the loss of these beautiful bushes and the privacy they gave in front of my 2 front windows. Will the plants grow back, or should I pull them out and start again?
Fingers crossed…
Jane,
Give them a chance, they’ll likely come back. But they don’t grow much during the summer so wait until spring to make any decisions about them.
I have a hedge of 20 year old burning bush that seem to be dead. I have noticed all the burning bush’s in my neighborhood are still brown with dead leaves. I live in Colorado, there are a buds here and there, should they still look dormant IApril?
Jane,
Yes, I would say they should look dormant until the end of April. Burning bush are tough. The only that really kills them are rabbits girdling the bark. This is how you test to see if a plant, or a branch on a plant has died. Just scratch the bark of your plants with your finger nail. If the tissue below the bark is green and firm your plants are fine. If the tissue is brown and mushy that part of the plant is dead.
What are the best tools to use? I’d like to use a battery powered recip saw as many of the branches are too big for lopper and too many over several plants for heavy pruning this spring
I wish you had left the actual trimming in the video. I would have liked seeing how you attack the bush, where you start trimming, if you do it in big bits or just a bit at a time, etc. Love your videos, but don’t edit so much. I like seeing Mie in action, so I can learn more. 🙂
Great video! I have a question, I live in central Indiana and this years winter was worse than normal I was told. Several of my burning bushes are in bad shape. Half of their branches are dead (dry and no leaves) and others seem fine. I saw rabbits eating bark from the bottom(not sure if this makes a difference) I was told to trim the dead branches, I did this bush the bushes look really lopsided. If I am wanting to try and save these bushes is it better to trim them way down like you did in the video?
Kim
At this point I’d wait until Thanksgiving then trim then down far enough to get them balanced again. They will grow back faster than you think. The rabbits chewing on the stems of the plants can be a problem. It’s not a real big deal until they girdle the plant all the way around. At that point the entire shrub is likely to die.
this was a great video. i am wondering, though, about a less severe method for my BB hedge. it’s been in for almost 10 years, and is starting to get leggy. it’s about 8′ tall…never pruned, just slight trimmings on the edges.
i hesitate to cut it back so severely…the reason we planted it when we moved in was to shield our neighbors messy yard. i’d hate to have to look at that while waiting for the bushes to grow taller and thicker again. is there a less drastic method that we could try? selective pruning to the ground on each plant? alternating bushes?
thanks!
Patti,
Wait until November and just cut the top as much as you want. Maybe cut it back to 5′ and let if fill out from there.
Mike, I have a burning bush that bloom with the pretty pink flowers and red leaves this spring. And then all of a sudden 1/2 of the bush just died. The other side is just fine. What happened to it? I have lived here for years and have never seen this.. Should I cut the whole bush back? This is the middle of June. Patty
Patty,
Pretty sure you don’t have Burning Bush, sounds like Purple Sandcherry. I’d remove the dead and trim up as needed and hope for the best. Could be a peach tree borer problem.
I’m so happy I found this video! I pruned back a huge burning Bush today…thought my husband was going to have a heart attack when he saw it! It was blocking the gate to the back yard and I almost poked my eye out on the darn thing.
I have some way overgrown burning bushes and saw your video on cutting them back. It’s the second week in April and warming up here in Carol Stream, west of chicago. Is it too late already to cut them back like in your video? They are about 8 – 10 feet high. A drastic pruning down to a few feet would leave only wood. Like your site. Bob H.
Bob,
With heavy pruning there is always risk. Earlier would have been better, but chances are if you cut them now they’ll be fine.
I have some privet hedges that were pruned a few weeks ago. And I also have a burning bush plant that was pruned in late fall last year. Neither has began to bud yet. What is the time frame for these shrubs to bloom this spring? Thanks.
Brice,
That depends on where you are, but if they were cut back they will be slow to put on new growth, might have to set new buds. This is how you test to see if a plant, or a branch on a plant has died. Just scratch the bark of your plants with your finger nail. If the tissue below the bark is green and firm your plants are fine. If the tissue is brown and mushy that part of the plant is dead.
Hello Mike,
I have to tell you that I look forward to your news letters & videos. I just know I’ll be learning something.
You have a wonderful gift.
Thanks, Louis
Thanks Louis, I appreciate that.
It may seem extreme to some people, but its good for the plants health to trim back every few years to keep out the diseases and help with the looks of the plant. Just like fruit trees and Roses. sometimes it may look bad a couple seasons, but, in the long run the produce and are healthier and live longer for our enjoyment.
Like you said, if I could convince my neighbors and people I do landscaping for and work with it would be a lot easier on me ! It’s hard to get people to understand the importance of dead heading and trimming. Most think if you cut ANY off you will kill their plants. So I like to give them copies where you are blunt enough that they’ll take it to heart!
Thanks Mike for all you do for us!
Cleo,
You’re welcome and thanks for following what I do.
I absolutely love your blog and find most of your post’s to be what precisely I’m looking for.
Does one offer guest writers to write content to
suit your needs? I wouldn’t mind producing a post or elaborating on a lot of the subjects
you write concerning here. Again, awesome blog!
Naprawa,
On occasion we do accept articles written by others but they very much have to be inline with what our goals are for the site. And we seldom post anything anymore that we don’t have our own unique images to use along with the post. So it does make it a bit challenging.
that was mine about the hydrangea trimming. sorry no name w/ it.
I have trouble knowing how or when to prune Hydrangea; it is too big so when I trim it way back then it doesn’t bloom much in spring or throughout the summer.It’s right next to walk way into house, so perhaps I should move it completely, but it’s very tight in ground & rooted down deep.
Details about trimming hydrangea here https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2012/07/hydrangea-pruning-made-easy/
i have several burning bush in my front yard two of them leafed out this spring with very few leaves what should I do to get them to grow back better next year?
Burning bush are pretty hardy and if they don’t leaf out, something must be going on with them. The first thing I would suspect is possibly rabbit damage. Check to see if the stems have been chewed on. If so, not much you can do but wait and see what they do. If they are not completely dead, chances are they will come back. If you happen to be in a warm climate, Burning Bush really don’t like those hot zones.
I have inherited a burning bush (euonymus) that is about 15+ ft tall and I was told to cut it 8 inches from the ground. I’m scared ! What height and when should I do this? I’m in upstate NY.
Rachael
Rachael,
8″ is pretty harsh, I’d suggest 24″ and don’t do it until winter. However, I cannot guarantee your results, all I can tell you is that I have trimmed them that hard myself.
Can I cut back my burning bush right at the beginning of spring….say today, perhaps? (April 3rd)…. They haven’t bloomed yet and wasn’t sure if they were still considered dormant. I’m guessing they’ll start to bloom very soon and I didn’t want to compromise the life of the bush.
Thanks Mike! Great videos!!
T. Mo,
Sure you can cut them back now. You won’t hurt them. Depending on how hard you cut them back it will take them a time to fill back in completely, but they most certainly will fill back in.
would you please do a segment on the Mock Orange bush and how to trim them so that they thicken up?
Cathy, Mockorange is a woody shrub a lot like forsythia. During the winter you can cut them back really hard like I did here with the Sandcherry. See that post on this site about trimming Purple Sandcherry.
This is awesome advice! Thanks again Mike for all of your great landscaping posts!
YOU ROCK!! Going out to hard prune, the rain is clearing as we speak… 😉
Thank you! I moved into a house with beautiful burning bushes that hang out into the street and block vision for driveways. Now I know I can keep the plant and be safe.
Mike, Thank you sincerely for all of your awesome and helpful tips.. Your time spent on helping others should be appreciated by all who visits your website… I sure appreciate you! Thank you kindly!!
Kind Cowgirl, thank you, I appreciate your kind words.
Mike, I do appreciate your videos, and have benefited from many of your tips – thank you. I hope you don’t think I’m contradicting your advice or disagreeing with you – we both know that our own way isn’t always the best way, and also that often there is more than one “right” way to do things.
~Sharob
I am amazed at how many unrelated questions you get from people who are too lazy to do the research on their plant and just post a comment on one of your (FREE!!) articles, expecting you to give them MORE for free by taking your valuable time to answer it for them. I don’t blame you for not answering everyone – you can’t (plus, the more you do, the more questions you get) – and at the same time I am impressed with how giving you are in the quantity of unrelated questions you DO take the time (GIVE your time?) to answer. Kudos to you – you’re a very selfless and generous person – and a wealth of information. Thank you.
~Sharon
Sharon, I appreciate your comments. You’re right, it is upsetting when people get mad at me because I can’t give them more of my time. If only they had any idea how many thousands, or tens of thousands of hours I’ve invested in giving out free gardening advice. I can’t even begin to tell you. But it helps that you understand.
Please advise on the proper pruning of peach trees and proper time of year.
I would like advice on pruning a japanese maple that is about 15 ft tall
Billie- this is from Mike’s video archive
https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2011/04/pruning-japanese-maples/#
Mike
Loved the video. What’s the best way to prune Indian Hawthorne? And what time of year should I prune it?
Thanks much
I am wondering if I can cut a pussywillow back as much as you did the burning bush. It is higher than our front porch right now and it is actually too close to the porch. It really needs to be replanted somewhere else, but I am afraid it is too large to remove and then replant. So maybe if I can just trim it way back.
Yes, you can trim a pussy willow way back. I know – they grow like weeds! They are not very suited for landscaping right in front or around the house. Just remember that pussy willows start to form next year’s buds right after they flower, so if you prune in the fall, you won’t get very many of the little furry buds. The best time to prune for having buds is right after they bloom, but unfortunately, this is BEFORE the growth spurt, so it doesn’t always help. Good luck.
Mike,
Would love to see the hedge
in its fall color,
I planted a road frontage with two burning bushes then one purple smoke bush, Two burning bushes the one purple smoke bush, two burning bushes and the one purple smoke bush.. and I did this on each side of my drive way.. My purple smoke bushes grew 4 foot in one year.. my burning bushes grew maybe 1 foot in one year so the burning bushes are growing very slow compared to my purple smoke bushes.. Any opinions from landscappers on how this will look once I have a hedgerow growing?
I moved into a house 3 years ago with a 10′ tall Lilac Bush. I haven’t done much pruning of it and there were not too many blooms this year. (a) What is the best thing to do with the spent blooms too promote more growth next year? (b) Should I cut back 1/3 of it after Thanksgiving? Or will I lose next year’s buds?
I had a couple arborvitae that when I planted them I thought they would be great for decorating with lights at xmas time…so I planted them in the front bed on each end of the house. I knew they were fast growing but did not realize HOW fast. One day i looked and realized they were taller than my house by a good bit. Everyone said, can’t trim that much. Well…It was trim or cut down. I chanced it and trimmed last fall along with my severely overgrown lilacs and red twig dogwoods. Now I was not able to get the same shape and not have it look horrible, but I was able to round out the top and have it look acceptable. Is there a way to get the pyramidal shape back without having it be an eyesore? BTW The lilacs my husband was not sure about making it look lovely this year- though not as much flowers as we got in previous years, I am sure next year will be fine. The Red Twig dogwood was cut back to half its size and looks great this spring.
This type of training is typical of Mike. The amount of information he gives away is phenomenal.
I do have a question though. Two or three years ago, I purchased the entire package. Since then, life has happened and I have lost all of my log in information, receits, etc. Is there a way to reconnect with this, or will I have to repurchase? Your help would be appreciated
Ray – contact Taylor at [email protected] and she can look up your previous order and get you what you need.
I have 4 really big, ugly Japanese Holly Bushes that I wanted to get rid of but after seeing your video, maybe I should control them better. I had been clipping them throughout the summer with my hedge clipper and they grew back REALLY fast. Should I take our chain saw to in the fall? Thanks Mike. I love your newsletters and you videos.
your the best info on line Thanks for so much good learning material I am old but not to old to learn thanks thANKS
Thanks Bess, that’s very kind of you. Happy gardening!
I have a question regarding trimming bushes back. We have large cedar hedge/bushes all around the front of our home. They were never trimmed regularly before we moved in, but desperately need it. Is there a way to trim them back hard, and not be left with dead sticks showing everywhere? Our last trimming left dead areas that did not come back.
Teri, with evergreens hard pruning is a gamble. What you can do is reach inside the plant and cut away 1/3 of what needs trimmed. Then a year later do it again, then again the third year. On paper this is supposed to work, but it’s a 3 year process and if the plant still doesn’t get sun to the inside after the first or second pruning your still going to have a lot of dead sticks.
I know you say Cedar but a lot of people have arborvitae and they call them Cedar. In my book, if they are unsightly you have to decide whether or not you want to keep looking at them, take a chance on trimming them really hard (winter is the time to do that) and if they don’t come back nicely rip them out and start over.
mike, i’ve had some good luck with rooting hardwood birch cuttings. i must have 100 of those sons-of-birches rooting around here! haha
Mike, what about a quince bush?
Hello Mike I am like you i am not afraid to cut it away back. my neighbors say you are going to kill that tree or bush i say if it dies i know where i can buy another .& it turns out beautiful and i get yard of the week several times thank you ,is it time to cut back hollies or move them to a new location.
Can the Chinese Fringe be done the same way? What about rooting some of the cuttings Thanks
Marge, you can try and do them as hardwood cuttings, then next summer do some as softwoods in the http://www.freeplants.com/homemade-plant-propagation.htm
Mike what can I do to ensure no roaches come in when I bring my potted trees back in for the winter? I’ve seen some big ones scatter from my grill and fear I may bring some inside. I live in Raleighy, NC and we had a hot dry summer and early fall. Suggestions?
MIke, I recently removed a monster yucca tree community and subsequently was left with roots that wouldn’t come out without a struggle, and now the dang things are trying to grow back! How do I get these roots out once and for all?
The average height of a blue spruce is for example 40′. Can I keep it tall at the maximum of 10′ by pruning it every year, assuming when I plant it it is only 6′ tall?
I appreciate your advice.
Sam, you really can. You just have to be diligent about cutting off all of the new growth. But you might be happier with another conifer that doesn’t get that tall.
I have a question …Will peaches ripen off the tree? I have a 3 yr. old peach tree that was suposed to be a flowering almond bush!!! This year the peaches are looking real good but are still hard. I live in Idaho and we will be geting a frost in a few weeks so I’m wondering if I can pick them soon ? What else should I do?? Help Thanks
I have burning bush’s that don’t seem to want to grow. I have had them for about six years and they seem not to grow. They are still as small as when I first bought them. I have had dear eating on them from time to time. Also they don’t seem to turn red as they should. Can you give me some hints.
Thank You
On the burning bush cutting is there a way to propagate them to make more so I can make a row between me and my neighbor.
The Homemade Plant Propagation System is a great way to propagate plants:
http://freeplants.com/homemade-plant-propagation.htm
With burning bush, try softwood cuttings next year starting in mid June in your area.
Kathy Anderson
Mike’s Assistant
Thanks so much for the link to calla lillies. I’ll keep trying! I have some in partial shade &some in full sun and some on a sloped bank. Thanks so much! And thank you Mike. Kay
Makes me wish I had a burning bush to prune. I’ll look around to see what I can do.
Thanks Mike – that was fun.
Mike,
I live in AZ where it is super hot, so I am afraid to plant anything other than those that do well in the heat (lantana). In these past few years I did try others that have done pretty good, especially in my patio. For privacy, this past spring I planted a couple of privet bushes by our pool, and they really seemed stressed during the hottest part of the summer, but they look like they have made it through quite healthy. They were only about 3 1/2 ft when I planted them, and are now about 6 ft tall, but still need them to grow a bit more to obtain that privacy we like, so now I hear that we are supposed to cut them way down during the winter. Is that correct?
Just one more question-please: I live Hibiscus, but every single one I have planted has died. One lasted about a year, and then it just turned yellow until it dried up. My dream is to grow several in my yard. We have North/south exposure. Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks, Mike. What about crepe myrtle? First of all, my next door neighbor’s looks great. Still blooming like crazy. Mine isn’t. It has what looks like seed pods at the end of every branch. And what about pruning? I want it to look like a tree, but it keeps growing new branches right out of the ground, looking like a bush. I live in St. Louis, and I know they are different in every growing area. Thanks in advance. Ron.
There are many different varieties of crape myrtles. Some have more of an upright shrub form, others have more of a tree form. Some have longer blooming seasons than others, while others begin blooming much earlier than other varieties. Your neighbor’s crape must be a variety that has a longer blooming season. Once your crape has finished blooming for the season, you can clip off the spent blossoms and seed pods.
Kathy Anderson
Mike’s Assistant
Mike, When do you cut down pampas grass and ow do you do it. Someone told me to burn it, but how do I do that? Thanks, Linda
Linda, ornamental grasses can be cut to the ground in the late fall. After a good hard freeze is the ideal time. Some people burn them to the ground, but that’s really not necessary, and you certainly don’t want to burn the whole plant you could start a major fire. Just cut them within a few inches of the ground. I pruning saw works the best, or a pruning blade in reciprocating saw.
Fall works for pruning back ornamental grasses, but consider this:
The flowering stalks of many ornamental grasses dry beautifully – cut or uncut – and will stay like that for months (or sometimes years when cut for dried arrangements). Especially if your ornamental grasses were planted as a screening, but even if not, leave them be until early spring. Most will stay attractive throughout the winter. Just be sure to prune away the dead by the time the new growth starts.
Can you cut down a mock orange bush ? Is that considered a woody bush ?
Michelle, yes you can, it is a woody shrub. If you wait until Thanksgiving you can cut it down all you want.
Can I cut some of the roots off that are coming up from the ground from a maple tree that is about 7 years old. I also have an OLD oak tree that some of the roots are about 3 in above ground, Can I cover the oak roots up with dirt or chop them back.
Shirley,
I’d say either is feasible. If you cut them back, wait until the trees are dormant just to be safe.
How much can I cut off? Can you do a video showing how much to cover the roots of the old tree and how to cut the roots off the maple tree.
Planted Calla lillies this spring, and they were beautiful but. on next round of growth they stood tall with large “bulbs” and just fell over. the huge blooms never opened. Should I leave them , or cut them off later in fall? Ga. has been @100 degrees, I worked my bed & mulched, What to do? enjoy all your tips & videos. Thanks so much.
Please ,please answer about my calla lillies. I spent a fortune on them from c.f.
Kay, I really don’t know a lot about calla lillies. Anybody with knowledge that would like to jump in here?
Hi Kay,
Here is a link on caring for calla lilies – I found the site helpful. Good luck. http://www.callalilyguide.com/calla_lily_care.html
PS: Thanks Mike – I enjoy and appreciate your gardening tips!
I have a beautiful burning bush. But this year on one side it looks bare as if fall was here. What would cause that. Thanks for the tip.
Betty Jo, it could be spider mites. They really don’t do permanent damge, they just defoliate the plants earlier than normal. I want to do a video about them, let me see if I can get it done.
good video I enjoy all your garden tips. I cut a sand cherry way back last week. too early I guess, now that I saw the video. hope it comes back. I want to plant garlic. think it should be planted in october? do I plant the garlic I buy in the grocery store? (the same garlic I cook with) or is there different garlic to plant? thanks, Tia
Here’s an article for you from Mike’s website that explains all about planting garlic. October would be a great time to plant garlic, but don’t plant the grocery store garlic:
http://freeplants.com/garlic.htm
Kathy Anderson
Mike’s Assistant
Here’s info on garlic.
can you prune a butterfly bush back also? we had lots of flowers this year but they never formed all the way.
Annette, yes you can trim butterfly bush back pretty hard.
Mike you were reading my mind. This was perfect timing for me to see the burning bush video. You’re the best.
enjoyed the ‘pruning’ video and it just makes me want to take my trusty pruning shears to several bushes in my yard…but will ‘azalea’ bushes withstand this type of pruning? i have several azaleas that are beautiful but getting ‘woody’, 2 overgrown rhododendrons , and several ‘spiriella’ bushes
and they all need a good cut. my burning bushes are still young but i gave them a ‘low trim’ just to freshen them up. the weather here in western n.c. is like a rain forest in warm weather and as a lot of the country, very unpredictable, so i don’t want to prune too early.keep the tips coming.
Tootsie, the spirea will respond nicely to hard pruning. Azaleas and Rhododendrons can be cut back, but the textbook method is to only remove 1/3 of the plant per year over a 3 year period. So what would happen if you cut them back really hard like I did in the video? If you did it while they are dormant (winter) they’d probably be fine, but I have to remind you that there is some risk involved of losing the plant.
What about Butterfly Bushes?
Margie,
Here in the north we cut Butterfly bushes right back to the ground each year because they are not all that hardy here and the tops typically don’t survive the winter.
Do you mean that you prune your butterfly bushes back in the fall? A tip I got from a professional grower of BB (zone 6) is to cut them back to about a foot or two off the ground in mid-April. It is important not to do it sooner because if you get a freeze soon after new growth has started, it could kill the whole plant (only after pruning – not on a plant that hasn’t been cut back hard).
I had a customer a few years ago that I pruned a 5-7 year old (well established & healthy) BB for in March, and that year we did get a freeze afterwards. Sure enough, the entire plant died. I am much more careful with the timing of pruning them now.
What I’m not sure of is if there’s a difference between pruning in the fall and pruning too early in the spring. You may say that you’ve never lost a BB from pruning in the fall, but have you ever had one with new spring growth endure a hard freeze? I think that is the only situation where the entire plant will die.
Just to clarify – I am referring to a “BB” = BUTTERFLY Bush, not a burning bush which this article is about.
Mike, where can I look at your answers to these questions? I have lots of the same ones…!
Diane,
Just look right here. I do my best to get here and answer questions, but I just can not get to them all. I spend a great deal of time each day on the Backyard Growers Message Board answering questions for the members of my Backyard Growers Group. I try and answer as many questions as possible here, but there are only so many hours. But often times other knowledgeable people offer good answers here as well.
I did not need to trim my burning bush as the deer came in and did it for me!! The bear came in last night and really pruned my plum tree too! (ARRRGH!) SOO I will be busy picking what is left of the plums to day. We live in beautiful country but the wild animals take over as well on my plants and trees.
Mike, First of all, thank you isnt nearly enough and yes I sent out your site to a lot of folks today. My yews took a hit last winter and didnt green out until this month a little on the top…nothing much below….I fertilized it well last year and they are up there in age but were absolutely beautiful…..couldnt take the horrible cold along great lakes last winter….
is there anything I can do for these or is it a better idea to just take them up and start fresh with a youngun?…this bis a hard…my dad planted those and they have always looked fabulous and we hate to take them up…but they are not looking too great…
Kathleen, before you dig them out, cut them back as hard as you have to this winter. Don’t fertilize next year, just let them recover on their own. The following year they should look really good. It will take them two years to come back, but they’ll be awesome!
Hi. This won’t completely stop them from eating your plants but helps. Ceyanne pepper in a spray bottle and sprinkle it around the bottom of your plants. Also helps with bugs plus cats and dogs making your flowers beds a bathroom area.
I’ve had success for a couple of years spraying liquid Irish Spring shower soap, diluted with water until it’s a pale blue color, on my daylilies as they’re first coming up, and a few more times as they get ready to bloom, and are in full bloom.
This has prevented deer from munching the first arrivals and eating all the buds off every durn plant that was about to bloom which they did each year as I tried other treatments… Expensive “deer preventers” hung on the fences near the plants didn’t work, and neither did 6′ fences.
Re-spraying after a rain is necessary. Probably any shower soap, diluted, works.
Thanks again Mike. Fort Wayne Indiana landscaper.
Thanks for the confirmation. Recently, I pruned two loropetalum bushes at the front of our home about 50% down. I have several others around the yard so I waited to see what the response would be. I did this in early August, the hottest time of the year here in Florida. About three weeks later there was new growth coming from the woody part of the plants. So I went ahead and pruned another 10 plants in a similar fashion. Six more to go and I will be done. It just took a little courage to get started. Thanks again.
Rush46,
You’re living proof that it works, but it always best to do this kind of pruning when the plants are dormant, or as close to dormant as they get.
I cut back 2 loropetalums last Oct., tomorrow will be April 1st. I still don’t have any growth on either shrub, not leaves or blooms. I’ve had them for about 8 years and they have always been VERY hardy. I have to trim them every year, but this time I went shorter (about 50%, from approx. 7′ to 4′). Do you think they’re dead or is there hope? It seems like I should already be seeing blooms and I don’t even have leaves.
Lori,
All you have to do is do a scratch test to know for sure. This is how you test to see if a plant, or a branch on a plant has died. Just scratch the bark of your plants with your finger nail. If the tissue below the bark is green and firm your plants are fine. If the tissue is brown and mushy that part of the plant is dead.
Hi Mike; Excellent garden tip on heavy pruning! With pruning, sometimes its best to just “Have NO Fear”!
Becky, you’re right. You have to make that decision that the plant offers nothing to your landscape in its present condition, and if heavy pruning works (and it usually does) you are saving a plant that otherwise would be tossed away.
We transplanted a rhododendrom and it looks pretty sad. Thanks for your suggestion re pruning after a hard freeze. We’ll cut it ‘way back and hopefully it will come back again.
Cathy, make sure that Rhododendron is not planted too deep and that it is not planted in heavy clay soil or over watered. They need water, but not near as much as other plants and they can not tolerate wet roots. It will kill them. They like to be planted high and dry.
Mike; I have a rotadendium (spelling) that is 8′ tall and spreads about 6′ in diameter. I want to cut it down to about 4′ x 3′. Is this possible and when?
George,
It is possible and the best time to do it as soon as the plants freeze for the winter. There is some risk involved, just like surgery on me or you. But if were me I’d take that chance and cut it down.
Can you transplant new growth near the bottom of an old Crepe Myrtle tree? The roots are not extended very far from the tree.
Love your videos Mike! They are very helpful. Keep ’em coming! Can we have some Oleander pruning tips? (Tomball, TX)
when do I get information on actual gardening without buying one of your books???
You’ll find plenty of gardening information – enough to keep you busy reading for hours – on Mike’s website
at http://freeplants.com/site-map.htm
Kathy Anderson
Mike’s Assistant
Jeannie, I’m not sure what kind of actual gardening you’re interested in. http://freeplants.com/site-map.htm is loaded with all kinds of free gardening information as is my newsletter and videos. But I am a little taken back by your question. I’ve been giving away free gardening information online for over 10 years now, I’ve invested at least 10,000 hours of my own time sitting at this computer sharing my knowledge with strangers all over the world and I get the impression you think I’m stingy. Hmmmm. You don’t have to buy my books, as a matter of fact you can even unsubscribe from my newsletter if you like.
you go Mike!!!
You go Mike! You are forever giving great information to all of us. It is very helpful and fun to follow you.
Thanks!!
I’ve learn more information from your site and you than anyone could ever imagined. Thanks for your valued time and knowledge. M Gibbons here in south jersey
Thank you for the info. Also, I was wondering how much you can prune a circular cedar bush? It appears to have only bare branches in the middle of the bush. Will it come back if
I were to cut it way back? It is by the garage door and is beginning to hang over into the entrance.
Susan, if you cut an evergreen way back into that dead wood in the center of the plant it will take a long time to come back. But actually that wood in the middle of the plant isn’t dead, its just starved for sunlight. But if you cut this plant back that hard it will be very slow to come back. If it were mine I’d replace it. But if you’re going to do that you have little to lose by cutting it back first. But it will be at least a year before it looks any better at all.
Great information, I didn’t think I could cut them that hard. Now I can tackle that row along my drive.
Thank you!
Thanks Mike, great tips. I have a row of large burning bushes that will be getting pruned back this fall.
Thank you for the video on pruning burning bushes. I will get out my tools in November and get to work.
THANK YOU, you just answered my question!!!
Great job! I’m a believer!
Mike,
I love your videos, thank you for sharing with us. I always learn something new. Thank you again for all your efforts.
Tina Boldt
oops typed in the wrong space. However, it is worth thanking you again for your ‘tutorials’. I look forward to seeing how to garden properly. You always seem to talk about something I am needing help with.
where is the burning bush trimming video?
All of Mike’s gardening videos are found on his blog at https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/
Scroll down the page just a little bit to see the title of the Burning Bush pruning video with the
title “Trim Your Burning Bush WAY BACK!!”. Click on the title to see the video.
Kathy Anderson
Mike’s Assistant
Thanks for the vid – great info! What do you do with the waste material, compost or burn it? There must quite a lot let after that hedge was cut?
Martin, of course composting the smaller branches would be a great idea. The larger branches would take much longer, but at my new nursery I am clearing some space to plant in, and anything less than 1-1/2″ in diamter goes onto a brush pile that will eventually compost and the larger wood goes into a firewood pile. It will take a long time for that brush pile to compost, but all I have is time and in the meantime I use it as a barrier to discourage snowmobiles and 4 wheelers.
Wow, this is a good video! My neighbors burning bushes are wicked tall. I bet they would love to know you can cut them way back. Thanks!
Ginger, send them my Email and they can watch the video.
That’s pretty severe pruning! I’d like to know if there’s a danger of just leaving a burning bush alone – mine is spectacular – easily 10 feet in diameter. I have a huge yard, so I welcome very large accents. It is very beautiful when it turns color in fall, and is perfectly filled out all the way around. I worry though, that it’s going to do what a butterfly bush I had did… it grew so large that it cracked down the middle of the root ball and after severe pruning would not come back in the least. Perhaps water got down into the base and it rotted. I don’t really know. Any ideas of what the outer limits are?
Karen, I don’t think there is a downside to letting burning bush grow large. Should they ever get broken down by snow load or something else I’m sure some pruning would make them nice again.
Good to know. I love the burning bushes and they’ve gotten monsterous over the years. Wasn’t quite sure how much I could cut them back, and now I know.
Thanks Mike.
May you and yours be well,
Carle
Good information.This is really good to know that you can cut the burning bush back and reshape it without doing permanent damage to it. Thanks Mike.
Thank you Mike,
Very informative. I have a very unruly variagated privot that I am going to try this on in November.
Really enjoy your newsletters
Jamie Parrish
Blanchard, OK
Excellent! I have been thinking about cutting an overgrown forsythia back a little to control it’s ranging habit. This video has given me the release to chop it about halfway up…
Thanks, Mike!
I have a Spirea (sp?) that has grown to triple its size this year. Can I prune it back hard like the Burning Bush?
Cheryl, quick story about sprirea. I had three in my landscape that just grew way too much for the area that they were in and I really no longer wanted them. So I went out with my chainsaw and cut them along with some evergreens that I didn’t want right to the ground. I mean as close to the ground as I could get them. I did this right before Kevin left for college and asked him to dig out the stumps for me. He dug out all of the evergreen stumps but didn’t see the sprirea stumps. That’s how low I cut them! So anyway I didn’t even realize that he didn’t dig them out until one day I walked around the house and noticed three of the most compact spirea that I’ve ever seen. I cut them clear to the ground and forgot about them and they grew back really nice and tight a full.
So yes, sprirea respond really well to heavy pruning. Do them when they are dormant.
I loved this video! It is the best way for us novices to learn! Yaay!! I actually learned something!! But I gotta tell you, I trimmed 3 little burning bushes I planted right on the front of my house & plan on trimming them as they show growth next yr cause I don’t want them to grow bigger than 3-4 foot. Am I making a mistake planning this?
Ipf, let them completely flush out with new growth before you prune next spring. If you prune them too early they’ll just grow right back. I had a couple of Burning Bush at my other house that I kept at 40″ tall for 16 years. As soon as I moved out every plant in the landscape grew completely out of control because of a lack of hard pruning.
Amen, I trim at the end of March as the snow melts here in Michigan. Each year I trimmed back almost all the new growth from the previous year. The burning bushes gradually got taller and taller. Finally I decided that even if it killed them I had to get control of them; so, about five years ago I wacked them off at about knee high. It didn’t bother them one bit. This summer near the end of July I decided that a little light trimming would make them much neater in appearance. It didn’t seem to have any negative effects although I do worry about disease when I leave an open wound that time of year.
This reminds me of when my mother asked me about trimming her boxwoods. I told her to wait until late fall and take it easy. She cut them back HARD in the middle of the summer. Result-they ended up looking like a fresh, new planting of boxwoods! A lot easier than starting all over.
Thanks Mike
Great video with some very useful information. Thanks for sharing!
Mike,
Thanks for yet another great, free, tip. I almost always tune into your tips. From one landscaper to another – thanks a lot. -Chris
My husband severely cut an old fashion rose last month (August) so he could paint. Boy did he get it from me. But it has forgiven him and is coming back beautifully. So he is forgiven.
What about Blue spruces. Can they be cut down to size?
Kelli, Blue Spruce and most other conifers are a bit of a different animal. If you prune them hard like I did you will remove the main leader and end up with a very large blue spruce shrub, probably not what you want. They can be kept smaller through regular pruning each year, but if they get too large its really not practical to try and trim them back a lot.
Thank you for the pruning advise. I can’t wait until November. 🙂
Mike,
I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Can I do the same “heavy pruning” with a privet hedge that has grown 12-15 feet high? It has many thick “trunks.” I bought a chain saw and took out 1/3 of the thickest trunks on 3 bushes this past spring, but was afraid to go further. I have 10 privets in a hedge. When I pruned in years past, I apparently pruned at the wrong time. The result was many “witches brooms” with multiple branches coming out from the trunks I cut. The branches on the witches brooms had 5-7 branches that all got tall, lanky, and actually twisted. Can you give me guidance on when and how to trim the privets? I’d like to keep them about 8 feet tall to serve as a screen between my yard and my neighbor’s yard. Thanks so much and keep those videos coming.
Linda
Linda, the privet can be pruned pretty hard when they are dormant. Then come spring as they start to put on a lot of new growth just keep that trimmed to the desired height and they should be fine. When you prune most plants hard they come back with a few unruly branches. The quicker you stop those from growing out of control the better.
Thank you Mike!
I’ve been amazed with the results I’ve had by following your advise on pruning my plants. Tou have truely given me the answers for so many questions concerning my gardening, but my shears and I have been set free. The growth and control your advice has afforded has been
amazing!
Thank you for this great site! Keep’em coming.
I was wondering about rose bushes. I live in Idaho, the Boise area. How far back can I cut a rose bush and when should I do it?
Mike has another video here that explains how to prune rose bushes:
https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2010/07/pruning-rose-bushes/
Kathy Anderson
Mike’s Assistant
Roy, rose bushes can be cut back quite a lot. Some folks prune them hard in the fall, others in the very early spring. I like to think early spring is best, but I often do it in the fall just to make sure it gets done.
Can you then plant all those branches you pruned?
Thanks Mike..very interesting, you sure have taken away much of my fear of plant whacking through the videos.
Do you have any tips on keeping arborvitae ,etc under control? We live in a Mobile Home court and ours are too tall now.
bernice Hinkle
I really enjoy your messages and look forward to them. I read them all and just waiting time until I can take advantage of plant sales. I am into herbs for cooking and medicinal purposes and wish I knew more. Maybe you can inspire me more.
Jill
I’d suggest waiting to prune the burning bush until late winter, that way you don’t have to look at the ugly stumps for six months.
I have a snowball bush, can I do the same with it, in November?
Karen,
I don’t know if the snowball bush will work with this. I had one in NY that I tried trimming and it just went rank. Last week I had to remove a huge (>90 foot tall, five trunks) white pine and the arborist cut my snowball bush to the ground. I’ll let you know how that turns out.
How did your snowball tree/bush turn out after the prune job?
My husband whacked my snowball bush (11ft) within 1 foot of the ground one year. Within months it came back beautifully and grew uniform. It is an annual thing at our house now to cut it back by at least half and shape it. Bounces back beautiful!!
would love to get hold of some of those cuttings Mike.
Great video. Prune away!
Loved this video Just planted burning bushes last month and they are really growing. Do I need to do anything with the bush this year?
I have a burning bush that doesn’t seem to grow but, it seems healthy and green.
Is there anything special I can do for this plant? It’s been planted in this same spot
for about 4 yrs. It gets full sun. Should I move it? It’s about 3ft tall.
Whedn I watched your video on pruning burning bushes on new something was wrong
with mine. Excellent video!!!
Hi Pat,
May be you need to transfer it in a bigger pot. In any case plants planted in pots stay do not grow as much as those planted in the ground.
Excellent clip. Now about the chainsaw method……
Can English Boxwod be cut back the same way?
The boxwood have been in front of my house for 35 years and never been trimmed. The original plants came from Woodrow Wilson’s home in Staunton, Va and i don’t want to damage mine! (My mom took a tour there when they were trimming the boxwood and picked up a few snippets!)
Does this apply to the Smoke Bush? I have to wacked on it during the summer so it doesn’t grow out on the drive way. It seems to just keep going. Should I give it a good prune this winter?
Absolutely
Can i do the same cutting with my supposed to be dwarf Korean Lilac that has grown enormously in my front lawn? When is the best time to cut it and do I need to use a chain saw?
Hi Make
Thanks for the instructions for cutting back shubs. I thought that Burning Bush was so pretty, it would never occur to me to cut it back like that, however I know it is probably really good for the plant.
Thanks again…
Bonnie
I think the cut back shrub is pretty ugly, but Mike’s right. If that’s what needs to be done to keep it in bounds.. However….I prefer to do it late winter or early spring, just before leaf break. The less time I have to look at all those stumps, the better.
can you cut any shrub that severe in the winter months
Deb
Deborah, yes, during the dormancy period you can cut most shrubs back pretty hard. Evergreens are going to be slow to fill back in, but in most cases they do.
Great video but in my neck of the woods they are invasive plants that should be destroyed.
Norm, as close as I can tell the invasive plant is the standard burning bush, Euonymus Alatus, not the more common dwarf Burning Bush, Euonymus Alatus compacta. I know there is a lot of buzz about this online, but around here they seldom seed themselves. Certainly now where near at the rate that maple trees and other plants do.