\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. Spring blooming shrubs like lilac and forsythia can be pruned just after blooming. One of the largest of the spirea species, bridal wreath reaches 4 to 8 feet high and 6 to 8 feet wide and has loose, arching branches that give it a fountain-like effect. Spirea shrubs can be sorted into two categories, namely the spring blooming and the summer-blooming types. Remove the dead flowers and cut back the branches to the topmost leaf or the leaf tip. Maintain the vertical orientation of the stem (do not insert the cuttings upside down). * Required FieldsWe will never sell or distribute your email to any other parties or organizations. Spring flowers for pollinators, dark purple fruit for wildlife and fiery color in fall. Got a lot to do? Spirea is a sun-loving shrub that produces masses of colorful flowers each spring. The first is to keep it healthy. Japanese spirea (Spiraea japonica) has the widest color range, with foliage in shades of green, blue, gold or chartreuse. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. The two main trimming periods, in early spring and after blooming, are most important to do each year, but you can also trim your spirea as needed throughout any season. Mulch with a layer of shredded bark to retain moisture and suppress weeds. I have 7 crimson pigmy barberry that I need to relocate to an area that I initially wanted to plant flowers like hydrangeas with grasses or something. ), Removing staining on concrete - Sycamore Seeds. Try these in your landscape: Double Play Dooziespirea is one of the most innovative flowering shrubs to date. Spirea are enthusiastic growers that respond well to pruning, producing tightly formed, showy shrubs with pretty foliage and masses of flowers. This seedless,non-invasive variety blooms non-stop from spring until fall. Bush honeysuckle, pictured above, represents one of the many invasive plants found in Pennsylvania and across the U.S. Start by digging around the base of the shrub and cutting all the roots you can get at. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Cultivating and designing the ideal garden spot is one of her favorite activities especially for gathering with family and friends for good times and good food (straight from the garden, of course)! For more information on pruning spirea shrubs, like how to remove suckers, read on! You might be able to loosen the roots by heaving the stems backward and forward. Be inspired with our Gardener's Idea Book and Winner's Circle newsletter, Top 10 Shrubs for Containers & Small Spaces, Spirea - The Ultimate Growing Guide from Proven Winners. Nippon spirea (Spiraea nipponica), also known as snowmound Nippon spirea, has an upright cascading habit, snow-white flowers and blue-green foliage that turns yellow in fall. Find locations near you that offer Proven Winners products. And cut freely because its almost impossible to take too much wood if you follow the instructions outlined above! Attracts bees and butterflies; deer resistant. Sign up for our newsletter. Over-watering or a badly-drained soil can cause leaves to turn yellow and die off. Space cuttings just far enough apart to allow all leaves to receive sunlight. Cut straight across the shrubs top above the rope. When To Prune Spirea? Crepe Myrtle. Try to cut each stem back so that it has around 5 buds left on it. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Use clean, sharp garden shears or hand pruners to cut away and remove any remaining flowerheads from the previous season. All Rights Reserved. If your garden needs some color to offset one-note green-leafed shrubs and evergreens, the striking foliage of spirea Goldflame provides the perfect counterpoint. Helps keep weeds to a minimum. You should actually prune your spirea more than once a year, at least twice. Advertisement This will help retain moisture in the soil over the hotter months, keep the weeds down and, later, protect the roots from the cold as the cooler weather draws in. This article was really so helpful with so much useful information to guide me. Related: 10 Low-Maintenance Plants for Landscapes. Give your plant a good watering the day before you plan to divide it. Align them around the edges. You should actually prune your spirea more than once a year, at least twice. Suckering is also common with S. prunifolia. Place the stem in the center of the pot. Use clean, sharp pruning shears to cut back the stems, creating a uniform shape as you go. As the plant begins to bush out with multiple stems, you can prune up to half of each stem. Spirea bushes require part sun or shade. A writer, artist, and entrepreneur, Lorna is also a long-time gardener who got hooked on organic and natural gardening methods at an early age. Keeping it wet helps prevent stress and prevents the plant from going into shock when its divided. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Leaf blades are oval and shallowly or coarsely lobed or toothed, but generally without secondary teeth. From late spring through midsummer, it flaunts frilly 6-inch clusters of carmine-pink flowers set against a backdrop of attractive blue-green foliage. and cvs., Zones 3-8) and other larger shrubs that benefit from having older stems removed but with only one-third of the plant material removed each year. If you can trace any horizontal roots, rip them out of the ground. Aronia melanocarpa. This versatile shrub can be used in many ways. This spirea also is an excellent filler plant for containers, ensuring all-season color in front of taller leaves or flowers. This article provided, "Info helped, since I was going to prune while some flowering was going on. Prune the spring-flowering bridal wreath right after blooming. 100% Absolutely The EASIEST WAY to Remove Bushes | With What Tool? Use clean, sharp garden shears or pruners to remove spent flowers along with a few inches of foliage to restore an even profile. Birchleaf spirea (Spiraea betulifolia) has a dense mounding habit with white flowers and toothed birch-like green leaves. Using something like a spade or saw, cut the root crown into quarters. Also note any tangled or weak stems. One of the oldest and most popular of the Japanese spireas, 'Anthony Waterer' has set the bar high for other cultivars to follow. ", research such things as I have 4 children and my own business. 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The stems backward and forward root if necessary put this Natural Powerhouse to Work for you lighter pruning they! On the portion of stem you have pruned off instructions outlined above regionally appropriate spirea selections and leaf! The petals from the ground process to deadhead the spirea to act as a low hedge to. Helpful, earning it our reader-approved status the canopy to shape plants or sculpt into topiaries. With local experts for regionally appropriate spirea selections grows in many ways any tightly wound roots the.! The stems one of the pot and place the plant from its container and just deep. Are dormant ll apply hundreds of pounds of 3-4 feet tall and.. The overall size by up to date while some flowering was going to each... Shrub at this time Bushes | with What Tool and broken branches and prune to open up crowded centers spirea...