Kathy’s Home & Garden Tips – How to trim an overgrown shrub

Whether you inherited the shrub or neglected it on your own, overgrown shrubs are a blight on your landscape. If you inherited the shrub, decide if it is even worth it. Do you love it? Does it fit the landscape? You can just remove it, but replacing it can be costly. Realize that with a large, very overgrown bush, proper pruning can take three years. But if you decide to keep it, the work is relatively easy, and you will end up with a beautiful shrub.

Some think “I will just cut it way down,” but this does not address the main problem of old growth. You will get no new growth on the lower part. You need to give it a good trim first. Shape it the best you can. Next, look for the oldest, thickest branches near the center. These branches often are bare of greenery except at the very top. You will want to cut out one-third of these branches. Choose the thickest branches and cut them off as near to the ground as possible. If any branches look diseased, trim them at the ground also. This will stimulate the plant to produce new growth around the pruned area. It might be necessary to tie up the shrub and stake it to give some support through the process. 

Fertilize the shrub regularly and make sure it has adequate water. Keep it trimmed throughout the summer, training it to the shape desired. For the next two years, you will repeat this process of cutting out a third of the oldest growth. In the third year, trim it down to the height you wish. We used this method on two bridal wreath bushes in front of our house. It worked great! For a good reference book for pruning, add this one to your landscaping library- The Pruning Book: Completely Revised and Updated by Lee Reich, available on Amazon.

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH AND DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO