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Article: Renewal pruning can do wonders for blooming shrubs.(Home & Garden)(Midwest gardening)
- Article from:
- Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)
- Article date:
- February 27, 2005
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 Paddock Publications. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Jan Riggenbach
Without annual winter pruning, beautybush is no beauty. A large vase-shaped shrub, it tends to grow leggy, with all its leaves and pink flowers at the top and nothing at the bottom.
The cure, though, is simple. When a mild day comes along, grab the loppers and head outside. Remove at ground level about one- third of the largest, oldest stems. Repeat the same process every winter.
Called renewal pruning, this type of pruning works wonders on almost all blooming shrubs. It's a good bet for shrubs that bloom in spring on old wood, like beautybush, forsythia and lilac, as well as shrubs that bloom in summer on new wood, such ...