Can I still prune my Little Princess spirea down hard?

13 years ago

I have a well-established LP spirea I'd like to whack back to about 6", as it's getting too big for its space. Is it still early enough to do this or should I take it easier on it? Thanks!

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Comments (7)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 years ago
after it blooms.. cut it to 3 inches ...

by fall it will be back to 3 feet ...

promise

NEVER cut a shrub at height ... trust me .. been there done that ...

ken
jayco
Original Author
13 years ago
OK, thanks. However, I read that one is supposed to prune spirea x japonica before bloom, not after....?

Also, I'm not sure what you mean by "cut a shrub at height."
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deltaohioz5
13 years ago
You can wack it anytime except for late fall and still get blooms, I mow mine off every spring with the mower.

Frank
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
13 years ago
for more info ... google RENOVATION PRUNING OF FLOWERING SHRUBS .... for a 3 year project of reducing your plant ... did it for you.. check out the link ...

by experience though.. you can go whole hog ASAP ...

NOTHING you do will kill it ... IMHO ... we simply ENJOY the flowers before the massacre ... lol ... if you can NOT wait to whack it.. go for it ...

now.. if you cut it at height .. 6 feet.. imagine in a few years.. your same plant.. developing at 6 feet ... every cut.. will stimulate many new branches at 6 feet .. sooner or later.. it will start bending ... and weeping over.. and you will probably have a 12 foot bush ... perhaps an exaggeration.. but you get the idea ...

good luck

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: i do not have a favorite... just peruse a few ...
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
13 years ago
ken, jayco wants to cut it to 6 INCHES, not 6 feet. Just making sure we're all on the same page. ;-)
beegood_gw
13 years ago
When mine get too scruffy I run the lawn mower over them as well.I have a little gold leaved one I cut down every fall and every year I have a perfect little flowering mound with pink flowers
jayco
Original Author
13 years ago
I cut it down to about a foot today, and found 5 new plants that had layered themselves beneath the original shrub. So now I've got SIX princesses to worry about. Gah!

Thanks for the advice. I'm hopeful it will form a nice smaller mound and flower better than it did last year. Oh yeah, and there was a lot of dead wood, too, so I think I did it some good.