how do you prune tor spirea

When should Spirea be trimmed?

Spirea shrubs should be pruned twice a year, in early spring and late fall, to keep plants looking full and lively. Colorful flowers grow on new shoots versus old wood. Pruning also allows sunlight to get into the middle of the plant and develop strong branches. Always make sure to use sharp pruning shears or a hedge trimmer, and the blades are clean.

Can You trim Spirea anytime?

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. This is a shrub that responds well to trimming, so prune and shape as needed.

Should I cut back spirea in the fall?

More drastically cutting back spirea should occur in the fall or in late winter to early spring. Remove any dead branches and use this trimming to shape the shrub. Cutting it way back will stimulate new growth in tighter clusters so that you can get a more rounded, compact shrub shape.

When to plant Spirea shrub?

Spirea

• Mature Height/Spread. Baby’s breath spirea ( S. ...
• Growth Rate. Although spireas are typically not large plants, they do grow quickly.
• Landscape Use. Spireas are valued for their form and flowers. ...
• Cultivation. Fall is the best planting time, as it is for most shrubs. ...
• Problems. ...
• Cultivars for SC Landscapes. ...
• Japanese Spirea Cultivars. ...

When should spirea be cut back?

springIn early spring, before the leaf buds start to swell, cut all of the stems down so they're 4 to 6 in. tall. You can use pruning shears and cut one at a time or hedge clippers and simply cut them all off at once — it makes no difference.

How far can you cut back spirea?

2 to 3 feetIn the fall or winter, a more aggressive prune can be done to remove dead branches and foliage, as well as spent blooms. An aged Spirea that has become unsightly and overgrown can be cut back 2 to 3 feet from the soil line. This hardy plant will bounce back even better than before.

Should spirea be cut back?

You should actually prune your spirea more than once a year, at least twice. Give it a good trim after it flowers in the spring by cutting back the tips of the stems to the top leaf bud. This removes the dead blossoms and also may trigger a second blooming and new leaf growth. You can also shape the shrub at this time.

Can I cut my spirea to the ground?

To control the spirea's size and keep it blooming year after year, you should prune it back after blooming or when it's dormant in winter. If it's severely overgrown, cut it to the ground to rejuvenate the shrub.

How long does a spirea live?

Planting & Growing It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years. This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight.

How do you take care of a spirea bush?

Keep newly planted spireas well-watered until they become established. Mature spireas are drought tolerant and only need watering when the soil becomes dry. Spireas don't like wet feet, so avoid oversaturating the soil.

How tall does spirea get?

1½ to 8 feet tallPlant sizes vary by species and cultivar, and they range from 1½ to 8 feet tall. There are many species of spireas (greater than 80), but only the most commonly encountered species and cultivars are included here.

What type of spirea do I have?

If your plant features pink flowers clusters that grow on branch ends and ranges from 4 to 6 feet high, it may be a Japanese spirea (Spiraea japonica). Low-growing spirea, plants that reach heights of only 2 or 3 feet, with pink or white flowers, may be bumalda spireas (Spiraea x bumalda).

Do spirea lose their leaves in winter?

All Spireas are deciduous and lose their leaves in the winter. Most bloom between March and May in our area. Some varieties will produce a second set of flowers if the worn out blooms are pruned off.

How do you rejuvenate an old spirea?

Rejuvenating Mature, Overgrown Plants To rejuvenate both spring- and summer-flowering varieties, cut back hard in late winter to early spring, using clean, sharp garden snips or hedging shears. For overgrown bridal wreath, you may need to use a clean garden saw for the larger stems.

Does spirea bloom on old wood?

Spring-bloom spirea produce buds the year before they bloom, which means they blossom on old growth. These buds begin to set the autumn before they open. Meanwhile, summer-blooming types blossom on new growth, since they develop buds in the spring just a season before they open.

How do you stop spirea from spreading?

In areas where the population of spirea is sparse or in areas that are environmentally susceptible, one way to stop the spread of Japanese spirea is to cut or mow the plant. Repeated mowing of the invasive plant will slow its spread but not eradicate it.

Will spirea rebloom if deadheaded?

If your spireas didn't get cut back in the spring you can take as much as six to eight inches off now. When deadheaded in early July the plants will flower again.

When can I trim my burning bush?

Pruning. You should prune your burning bush shrub in late winter or early spring, either to maintain its shape or to boost new growth. Always be sure to remove any dead, damaged, or diseased wood close to the main branch to encourage the emergence of a healthy bud.

How do you trim a burning bush?

Heavy pruning needs to be done in late winter or early spring before new growth. What you will need to do is cut 1/3 of the new canes growing from around the base of the Burning Bush to the ground level. This must be done with a pruning saw or pruning shears.

How do you prune a Spiraea japonica?

Prune immediately after flowering, as next year's flowers will be borne on shoots produced in summer. Cut back the flowered shoots to strong new growth below, pruning to a pair of buds.

How to get a spirea to be rounded?

A professional strategy for getting perfectly rounded spirea is easy enough for the home gardener. Tie a piece of rope around the center of the shrub. Trim straight across the top of the plant, and when you release the rope you’ll have a perfectly rounded spirea.

Why trim a shrub?

A good trim helps get rid of dead branches and leaves and allows more sunlight in to the new growth that is struggling at the bottom or interior of the shrub. Trimming also gets more airflow between branches, which deters fungal infections and is a good way to restore health and vigor to an overgrown, neglected shrub.

What are the different varieties of spirea?

Perfect Plants is proud to offer 3 different varieties of spirea plants. These include the well known Bridal Wreath Spirea, Goldmund Spirea, and Little Princess Spirea.

How to make a spirea bush look good?

Creating a professional-looking, rounded shrub is easy. Tie a rope around the middle of the spirea. Using sharp hedge shears, cut straight across the top of the bush. When the rope is removed, the bush pops back nicely rounded .

What is the color of the young spring leaves on a Japanese spirea bush?

Young spring leaves on a Japanese spirea bush appear red.

When does a white spirea bloom?

Beautiful white spirea blooming in the early spring. This plant will need a good prune after it finishes flowers.

Do you prune spirea japonica?

Don’t discount the misshapen , homely spirea. It simply needs someone to pay attention so it can shine and be the landscape beauty it is meant to be. Pruning will help encourage new growth and prevent diseases. We hope you enjoyed this blog on how to prune spirea. Spiraea japonica are great shrubs for easy care and blooms in the spring time.

Is spirea a shrub?

The beautiful spirea shrub has long-lasting blooms & is quite popular in home gardens. It fits into almost any landscape and provides abundant greenery and flowers in the spring and summer months. One downside, though, is that the spirea plant begins to look weary and ungainly if not pruned correctly. Some would even go so far as to say it is ugly or scraggly. Ugliness, though, is not a permanent affliction, and it can be easily averted with proper maintenance. To keep your spirea looking at the top of its’ game, learn how to prune spirea properly.

Three ways to prune spirea

Sometimes it’s hard to make the cut, but pruning spirea is a pretty worry-free job. You won’t kill a spirea by pruning it! (At the worst, it might not bloom for a year). I have three easy ways to prune them, as well as the best time of year to do it. Check out the steps and helpful illustrations below, and you’ll be good to go.

1. Prune spirea to encourage a rebloom

To get more flowers later into summer, snip off the spent heads as they fade. If you have only a few to cut, scissors or snips are fine. Got a lot to do? Use hedge shears. It won’t matter where you make the cuts, just remove as many flower heads as you can. This technique works with astilbe, bigleaf hydrangea, hosta and Japanese spirea.

2. Prune to make tight mounds

If you like a dense, structured look, prune just as new leaves start to show in spring. Use hedge clippers to shear off no more than half of the top growth. You’ll get a tight, habit with more, but smaller, flower clusters.

3. Prune spirea to get big flower clusters

Spirea that’s not pruned or pruned to the ground each spring has a casual, loose habit. In early spring, before the leaf buds start to swell, cut all of the stems down so they’re 4 to 6 in. tall. You can use pruning shears and cut one at a time or hedge clippers and simply cut them all off at once — it makes no difference.

Why prune spireas?

Article Summary X. It’s important to prune spirea shrubs, as this helps maintain their shape, prevent diseases, and encourage a second flowering. Don’t be afraid to really cut the plant back, as these shrubs will grow back even from severe pruning.

How to get rid of dead bushes?

Use sharp gardening or pruning shears to do this. Remove all dead, diseased or decaying growth as well. At the same time, remove any weak-looking growth or stems that seem too spindly. Any spindly or weak, dead, diseased or damaged stems should be cut right back to the base of the stem.

What is a sucker in a spirea?

Some varieties of spirea produce suckers. Suckers are shoots that emerge from the roots of the plant. Suckers are eventually capable of producing independent plants of their own; suckering is one of the ways that spirea reproduces.

How to revive a spirea?

After a few years, shrubs like spirea can become a little lackluster. Dividing them at the root is one way to revive them and remove old growth. You’ll also get more plants by doing this.

How does wikihow mark an article as reader approved?

wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 94% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status.

What is wikihow similar to?

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time.

When do spireas bloom?

Spirea shrubs are beautiful flowering bushes that can brighten up any yard. These shrubs tend to bloom in the spring and summer months , though some varieties will also produce attractive leaf displays in the fall. One of the basic elements of caring for a spirea shrub is pruning it when necessary. Steps.