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| Can somebody please give me some tips on how and when to prune my Viburnum Redwing? It's really beginning to look wild and messy, although this is the first year I have finally had flowers grow on this shrub. I would always cut it down at the end of the season but I was advised here that if I stopped doing that, I would be rewarded with flowers and berries. Well I have flowers, which are almost all off the tree now. I would like to shape it so it looks less straggly but I do not want to loose any berries that might grow in the fall. Is this the right time to prune? Can someone take a look at the photo below and explain where I should cut or trim?
Front view of shrub.
A bit towards the side.
Thank you for looking! Linda
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Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by gardengal48 PNW zone 8 (My Page) on Tue, May 29, 12 at 13:53
| I'm not sure what look you are trying to achieve but to my eyes, the shrub needs no pruning. It is growing exactly how it should - rather narrowly upright; eventually 8-10' tall and 6-8' wide. This is not a shrub I'd select for a particularly well-groomed appearance - this is not its nature. The less pruning that is done, the better it is. You will need a second viburnum to cross pollinate for good berry production, however. If you do 'need' to prune, it is best to do so lightly right before buds swell in late winter/early spring or immediately after flowering. |
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| Thank you....it is growing into the fence in the back and bottom branches are hitting the ground, that is really where I was looking to prune but I'm glad that's it's really not necessary. Any suggestions on a couple of good second viburnums that will cross pollinate? I got lucky with this shrub, I found it at Home Depot, it was the only one and I haven't seen any since. We do have a pretty good garden center close by with lots of shrubs, that is where I purchased the Blue Muffin beside it, which I really don't like that much now. Yeah, I would like to get a good shrub to cross pollinate the Redwig, just not sure which ones will work. Thanks again for you advice. Linda |
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- Posted by cearbhaill Zone 6b Eastern KY (My Page) on Wed, May 30, 12 at 10:09
| I think any of the V. trilobum cultivars would work- the trick is to find one that blooms at the same time. Don't you wish you had been required to take a class on pollination before buying the first viburnum? And yeah, you've got to get out there in the very early spring to prune if you don't want to sacrifice blooming or berries. If you don't care, then prune away any time. Especially the back side where no one will see. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Varieties of Viburnum Trilobum
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- Posted by gardengal48 PNW zone 8 (My Page) on Wed, May 30, 12 at 13:55
| Pollination 'rules' or guidelines on viburnums makes my head hurt :-) I have never planted with that in mind yet still managed to get berries on various plants. Technically they should be self-fertile, like blueberries, but are generally considered to be self-incompatible, producing poorly without a second plant, again like blueberries. I've attached a link from a former viburnum pollination discussion here on GW. Good info!! |
Here is a link that might be useful: everything you wanted to know about viburnum pollination, but were afraid to ask!
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- Posted by steve1young 7a Long Island (My Page) on Thu, May 31, 12 at 14:19
| I was ready to shovel-prune my Red Wing this Spring, until I noticed that it finally bloomed! Wahoo! Not only that, but the blooms are lace-cap. Very pretty. I started this shrub from a little 4-inch pot baby and after 5 years ... voila! It looks very much like yours. Unfortunately though, I don't have a Viburnum in the area that flowers at the same time, however the berries are still beginning to form/swell. I have a young Cardinal Candy that will hopefully bloom next year and hopefully will bloom at the same time. Anyhow, about pruning. Once I could see where the blooms were, I pruned down some of the surrounding branches so that the flowers (and eventually the berries) will be more visible. Other than that, I'll try to complete any pruning (dead branches and some shaping (not much)) shortly after bloom-time so that I'm not cutting out next year's potential flowers/berries. Best of luck with your Red Wing! |
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| This shrub has beautiful blooms and fall coloration but after years in the ground, it is going to be really scraggly with long 12' branches bending over 6' in all directions flopping over that fence and into the lawn and suckering like crazy making a huge clump. The bushes on both sides will eventually be eaten up. I took mine out because I didn't have the room and couldn't grow anything else near it. I am still fighting suckers even with stump grinding. Enjoy it while it is young and smaller and keep pruning like crazy to try to keep it in bounds. The previous owners did not at our house. |
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