Rose of Sharon
Pruning trees and shrubs, like this Rose of Sharon, tends to be an intimidating process for many people, but it doesn’t need to be.
Knowing when to prune trees and shrubs can take some of the guesswork and concern out of this garden chore.
Observing a few simple pruning tips will also make the job easier on you and your plants.
In general, it is best to prune plants while they are dormant in the winter. This avoids shocking the plant. If a plant is in desperate need of heavy pruning, it should be done while the plant is dormant. But if a plant just needs a quick trim to maintain a pleasing form, the rules change.
Avoid heavy pruning in the spring while a plant’s leaves are expanding. If a little light pruning is necessary at this time, go ahead and prune away, but this isn’t the time for drastic pruning.
Dead limbs and branches may be pruned off at any time.
If you’re unsure whether or not a branch is truly dead, scratch the bark with a fingernail. A living branch will appear green beneath the bark.
If a plant flowers in the spring, it can be pruned immediately after it has finished blooming for the season.
Plants that bloom in the early spring set their flower buds in the fall, and winter or early spring pruning of these plants would reduce the amount of spring blooms for them.
Someone gave me some rose a sharons with roots that was out of the ground for 4 days i planted them in pot but the leaves have dried up, I’m giving them some water but should i cut them back need some advice thank you
Roy,
At this point just cut them back some and hope for the best.
I have tried your techniques on multiple years trying to root some cuttings from a Male Maidenhair Golden Ginkgo Biloba tree without any success. What am I still needing to do? I love this tree and would like to start some more of them.
Skylar,
I have no experience with this tree but your best bet would be softwood cuttings in the summer. https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/01/easy-summertime-plant-propagation-techniques-can-home/
I am sad, I wanted to train my rose of Sharon as a pretty upright bush (umbrella like?). You said we want the ros to fill up at bottom which I didn’t want to do because I wanted to plant other plants around it at the bottom. I have a very small space to do this. Can training upright not be done?
Pardon me, English is not my native language.
Maria,
Sure you can train it to a single stem. See this; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2014/04/how-to-grow-train-flowering-hydrangea-shrubs-into-tree-hydrangeas/
Mike, i moved to a house with a rose of sharon growing near the foundation on the southeast corner of the house. it’s really too close to the house i think, only about 18 inches. this will be our 3rd summer and this plant has not seemed to grow an inch. is this right? should i move it? would it be a good idea to do cuttings from it?
i recall when planting any tree or shrub at my old home that it was almost always the 3rd year before we’d see any growth to speak of.
zone 5b
Cheri,
Plants that are happy should grow well from day one. Sometimes plants too close to a house are catching way too much water from downspouts. But since that one is so close to the house I would for sure move it. But since you don’t know the variety, I wouldn’t bother with cuttings. I’d do cuttings from a named variety. You can’t sell plants that don’t know the true botanical name of. See this For years and years and years this has been my rant;
http://freeplants.com/rant.htm
Now explained in a more technical way, this article is worth it’s weight in gold;
http://www.amerinursery.com/growing/propagation/why-names-matter/
thanks mike, i appreciate the links. it is a bit frustrating not to know the true name of what you’re looking at. i’m such a nut about it that when i buy plants i always put the plastic tag with the name and info on it, right in the front of the space i put the plant. even the annuals…lol
my family thought i was crazy when i’d make them stick those plant tags in the ground along with the plant. hahaha, nice to have my way of doing things validated.
When do I do this in MN ?????
Mike now that I have seen how to propagate Rose of Sharon ,I am going to get some cuttings from my sons Red Bud and try it.I gave him my Red Bud when we were going to move ,we didn’t.I have planted so many shrubs ,trees and perennials and don’t want to leave them. I have seedlings of mimosa or silk tree as it is sometimes called, how long does it take them to mature and flower? Thanks for all your helpful information.
Mike you are a life saver and Fantastic Teacher. I’m just getting started, I am
semi retired and still have to small operations that keep me busy.
Thsnks again for all your effort.
Keep going!
Ron K
Gallatin TN
My rose of sharon has black bumps all over it. I notice this when I was pruning it and they are massive. what can I do to get rid of them
Loved your video…and all the info you pass along….keep it up ~ ~
Jolene in Knightsen, CA
Thank you for the informative video on pruning Rose of Sharon. I always learn something new every time I watch a video or read your emails. Thank you for giving back to the earth!
I enjoyed your video.. Very informative. I have the rose of sharon, but I would like to try to root some red bud trees..
Thanks- I have a R
ose of Sharon that is growing in the bushes and i have always wanted to start some off of it -now i know how!
Wonderful video. Will this work for Viburnum? I have four year old bushes that were expensive. Would like to multiply them if possible.
Love your videos,they have been a great help.My question is can this procedure be with lilacs?
thank you Mike I always learn something new from you
The ground here in NY is already frozen. How long before I can do this? Must I wait until March or April?
would this still work with about 12″ of frost in the ground?
Thank you for this video. It is an informative video. Thank you very much for sharing your talent!
Mike, I just love YOUR love and reverence for plants and gardening. And I love the simple, yet profound, down to earth [pun intended!] way you do it. Thanks for sharing your experience with the rest of us who are just beginning.
Scott
Thanks for the wonderful advice! Will the same process work for our peach trees?
Mike. Love the videos. Great tips. I cant wait to see if any of my cuttings rooted. Im in ma. Where do you live?
Mike
Thank you so much for your videos. I have a question how can I root knock out roses.
good info as always…weather was good in ohio i live close in green and when i grow up i want to be just like you …only taller…thanks
One of my friends propagates roses in an interesting way. I haven’t tried it myself, but I have seen her results. Thought I might share with you and others. In October, she takes rose cuttings similar to the way you take hardwood cuttings from the Rose of Sharon. She inserts them into the ground as you do, but from there, she places a mayonnaise jar over the top and removes it in April. Viola`…new rose bushes.
I also have a few of babies which have resulted from the parent plant.
I will try to start new plants from cuttings, mostly because I enjoy the challenge. I love gardening.
Hi Mike, I Would like to know if I can get your Articals in print. We have to be on Dialup, because we live in the country and thats the only choice we have to be on the internet. If you have in on website please tell where I can find it.
Thank you: Joan
Thank you for the wonderful video! Happy New Year!
Susan
It is snowing here in Vermont today. This will not stop me from pruning my Rose of Sharon. I will try your method of making new shrubs. Good Stuff!!!!
Keep it coming. I enjoy your videos soooooooo much. They help me “Think Spring” during the long dark days!
Thanks Mike
Regards,
H. Pierce
Jericho, Vermont
Very encouraging clip to every garden enthusiast. This video forced me to go out and prune the Weigelias, Viburnums and the Lilac bushes. Hopefully by next summer these will branch out well and look better than before. It takes a few minutes for each plant, and can make a garden bloom well every season. Thanks for the video.
Mike,
How about a video on propagating azaleas, please. You mention the method you use for other hardwoods doe not work so well for azaleas.
Thanks.
Bob
Hey , how about along with a video you have a artical along with it for those of us that are still on dialup internet ( and there are still alot of us ) so we can know what your talking about. it would take me a couple hours to download your video.
Woody shrub.. would that include Lilacs?? Thanks for all the great videos!!!
Mike, Thanks so much for the info on pruning rose of sharon. You are a gem. Keep up the great work, you really are a great help to gardeners everywhere.
Thank you soo much. I have a precious rose of sharon given to me when my daughter died. I planted it in a spot that it has outgrown and it is too big to move without damaging badly. Now I can make “babies” from it and it will continue on even if we do have to move it and it doesn’t survive. I am going to make my cuttings today! Thank you so much for this video- you made it simple enough for me to understand!
watched the video on rose of sharon, was great. But how do I prune an established shrub? It is at least 8 ft. tall. Can I prune it all the way to the bottom? Would appreciate any advice you can give me. Thanks in advance. Nathel
Mike,
Can I do the same thing with a small blueberry bush my deceased farmer/friend, Hector “Nick” Nickolson, gave me,the week before his death in 2004. He will be living in that bush and I would love to propigate it.
Peggy57Marter
grate videos as always brill prcise advice keep them coming thankyou
Mike,
Will this kind of pruning work well with “Burning Bush”?
Thank you for all the informative videos!
I have two rose of sharons but they lost their leaves in this winter I live in Lancaster CA, Will they come back in spring? they are outside in the ground. Where are the seeds from this plant? I haven’t seen any seeds on my rose of sharon.
Enrique, Rose of Sharon do lose their leaves. the seeds grow in pods that open so seeds will fall out. k from northern ca
Some types of rose of Sharon’s do not make seed pods I had a beautiful sugar tip that didn’t produce seed pods I quess what you can do is prune it back and use those cuttings to make new plants just put them in wet soil and wait for new leaves to grow I have done it so I know it works patients is needed. And a lot of light. Hope you you find this helpful.
I have several Rose of Sharon shrubs about 8 ft tall or more that leave lots of babies from the seeds, but I have a double blue flowering one, or one which looks like the other Rose of Sharons, which never makes any new plants at the ground below it. I’m going to make lots of cuttings, because it is so unusual. Its flowers are ruffley, as opposed to the beautiful single ones on the other plants.
Hi Mike
I have learned so much from you. THANK YOU
I am disabled have gone to growing in pots. i have a concrete pad with 4inch blocks around the edge, can I fill it with dirt to grow plants?
i am not able to get down to weed.
I live in MN & the ground is frozen in the winter. When do you suggest I would do the cuttings & put in the ground?
Mike, I’m hearing inpaired….I watch your videos and try to get as much as possible but I can’t hear them and miss too much. Is there some way you could print the words below the video or could I get a hard copy of what you are saying? I’m really interesed in learning more about what you are doing in the videos. Thanks so much. Joy
Great video as always.. I will prune my rose of sharon, but will not try an root any because I have so many babies from the seeds. I have potted alot of these plants from seeds growing all around the bottom of the parent plant. Keep the videos coming!!!!
Mike thank you so much for this information. I am about to start rose of sharon seeds Michelle and Mike and would appreciate any advice you can offer. Mike thank you thank you for doing what you do.
Keep the video’s coming Mike. Your so interesting. I love your site the best. Jan from Franklin, Wi.
Thank you Mike, just watched your video on pruning “Rose of Sharon” my daughter has a plant about 4 ft high, I will do some pruning and make some baby plants. Really great that you take the time to show us how to do all sorts of things with our plants.
Have a great year, best wishes Eileen in Yorktown VA.
Hello Mike,
I so enjoy your newsletters. I was watching your video on trimming RoseASharon and found it very interesting. I do have a question though, I have 4 very large RosaASharon bushes, I’m wondering, can I trim them back in the winter too? They have actually gotten a little large in the area they are. Would I hurt them by cutting them way back? Don’t want to lose them, they remind me of my childhood. Thank you again for all the information you send me.
Happy New Year
Thanks for this video Mike!! My brother had given us a Rose of Sharon and it was beautiful. It had so many flowers on it. All of a sudden it got bugs on it and it ruined the plant. It’s still alive so I am going to try and see if I can get some cuttings. Hopefully it’s not too late. Thanks so much for all of your informative videos!!
Debbie B
Enjoyed the pruning video , i love plants myself, so any advice i can learn is great!! I want to have my own green house someday. Keep the wonderful video’s coming!!!! Sincerely, Angie/ FT.Worth, Texas
Mike
Have enjoyed your emails for quite some time; However, I am still on dial-up and can not get DSL and only wireless is very expensive. I am not canceling, but you can drop me if you want.
Thanks
Jim Qualls
Hi Mike, I appreciate this information regarding Rose of Sharon. My grandmother kept her Rose of Sharon as a tree. I’ve tried doing that, but I’m not all that happy with the outcome. It is now about 6-61/2 ft tall. Can I still cut it back into a shrub? I’m also considering moving it to another location. Trim back and then move it or move it first then trim? Thanks for any infomation you can provide.
Wendy
a California gardner
Wendy, take a 4+ foot cutting from your bush and start it. that’s how I got my beautiful R of S tree. let it grow then next winter decide which top 3 or 4 limbs are spaced evenly and prune off the rest! k from northern ca
I wonder if some worm poop would help them develop roots any faster? (I raise redworms)
John where did you get your info on raising red worms. I always wanted to do that
SURF…. SURF… you will find so many sites to visit…. you will never get started.lol It may easely be an investment as well as a hobby. A 5 dollar tub and $30.oo worth of worms will allow you to determin if worm farming is for you. No need to buy worm food, your table scraps and very little attention is all that’s needed… Raise your own fishing bait…. food for your pet bird/reptile, garden enhansment, a slush fund provider, a conversation topic, ‘n on ‘n on… Get started now, procrastinating will only delay a gr8 hobby, who knows… maybe someday I will be buying YOUR worms…Good Luck…
Chief
Thanks for a very informative video, good to know. I complained at my husband for trimming our Rose of Sharon hedge when the cold was already here… but I guess he did the right thing, so he’s off the hook…lol
I have a very large rose of sharon, I live in upstate NY, is it too late to prune it and if not how much should I prune it back. It is about 6 feet tall and is a tri color plant.
Should I trim my Roses of Sharon in the fall? Also shouls I snip the pods off?
Marcia, yes and yes.