I'm curious about the right timing for trimming my bushes like Azaleas, Boxwoods, Dogwoods, and Butterfly bushes. I just trimmed them in August and noticed that the Boxwood and Butterfly bushes are growing like crazy and need a good cut back. The Azaleas and Dogwoods just needed some minor shaping. When should I ideally trim these types of bushes to keep them looking good without messing up their blooming?
2 Answers
For Azaleas and Rhododendrons, it's best to lightly prune them right after they bloom since that's when they set buds for the next season. If you're looking to do more structural pruning, save that for when they go dormant in the fall. As for Boxwoods, a light shear after new growth hardens off, usually around late June, works well. With Dogwoods, prune them in the fall or winter. If you have Red or Yellow twig dogwoods, trim away any growth older than two years for the best color. Butterfly bushes can be cut back after the leaves drop; these plants are pretty hardy once established, so no worries!
You can definitely prune Boxwoods now, but I'd wait until spring to cut back the Butterfly bush when it's dormant. For Azaleas, trim them right after they flower to avoid losing blooms next year. If you're working with a shrub dogwood, just do a light pruning at this time of year to keep it tidy.
Yeah, I have an Ivory Halo dogwood and trim it lightly this time of year too, helps keep it looking sharp!
Yeah, I found that with my Azaleas too! They looked a bit ragged by August but a quick trim helped. My Butterfly bush grew wildly, so I had to cut it back by half!