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From: ark@alice.UucP (Andrew Koenig)
Newsgroups: net.garden
Subject: Re: Advice on Pruning Shrubs
Message-ID: <5337@alice.uUCp>
Date: Tue, 22-Apr-86 10:39:14 EST
Article-I.D.: alice.5337
Posted: Tue Apr 22 10:39:14 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 23-Apr-86 22:34:13 EST
References: <1739@mtgzy.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs, Murray Hill
Lines: 14

How to prune depends heavily on the particular shrub.

Forsythia is easy: when it has finished flowering, cut it back as
much as you like, then leave it until next year.  It is almost
impossible to cut back a forsythia too much.  If you mow the thing
down to the ground, you will have six-foot branches by fall.

Forsythia, lilac, and some other spring-flowering shrubs bloom only
on last year's growth.  Thus the object of the game is to get as
much growth as possible this year to maximize the flowers next
year.  Pruning after flowering does just that.  Pruning in the fall
just cuts off the flower buds.

It's hard to say what to do about the others without knowing what they are.