When Is It Too Late To Cut Back Shrubs?

Pruning is a necessary task for the majority of shrubs that, when done right, will improve the health and beauty of your bushes. There is a right time to prune that will enhance growth and get the shrubs ready for spring, and a wrong time to prune that can create problems for your shrubs. While there are plants that you should be pruning in the fall, shrubs are not on that list. Cutting your shrubs back too late in the season encourages them to produce new growth that won't have time to harden before freezing temperatures arrive. This can leave branches susceptible to winter damage, reduce next year's blooms, and even harm the overall health of the shrubs.

So when is it too late? For virtually all shrubs, it's too late to prune after mid-August. The exception to this is removing diseased or damaged branches, which should be removed as soon as you see them, and can be done at any time. Pruning at the right time helps shrubs maintain their shape, improves airflow, encourages strong spring growth, and supports fuller blooming.

As the seasons change and your shrubs, plants, and trees begin their transition into winter, timing becomes everything. Understanding your local climate, the type of shrubs you're growing, and their natural growth cycle is essential to knowing when to put the pruning shears away and when to get to work. If you simply enjoy pruning and want something to work on, these 10 plants can be pruned in November with no ill effects and will help prepare them for spring.

The right time to prune your shrubs depends on the type of shrubs you have in your yard. With so many different trees, shrubs, and plants available, it is possible to have some pruning jobs all year long in one form or another. Prune any spring-flowering shrubs right after blooming. This will be sometime between March and May, depending on when they are finished blooming. Shrubs that produce summer flowers can be pruned before new growth begins, which is in late winter and early spring. If you deadhead your summer-blooming shrubs during the growing season, it will encourage them to produce more blooms for you to enjoy. 

You will find that the most common time to prune shrubs is in late winter and early spring, when most plants are dormant — typically from December to February. Pruning bushes during winter dormancy reduces the risk of insect and disease problems, as these pests are less active in the cold months. Evergreens need to be pruned in early spring, before they start adding new growth, usually in March or April. You can also prune evergreens in mid-summer, when their growth slows due to hot temperatures. 

If you have overgrown shrubs that you are tending to, you can do a heavy pruning in late winter to early spring, but keep in mind that if they are flowering shrubs, you will get fewer blooms or possibly none at all for a couple of years. Although you will miss the flowers, you will improve the shrub's longevity and overall health for years to come, and the flowers will return even better than before.