Pruning: How Low Can You Go?

When I perform a heavy pruning of a shrub in my garden, it can be a little nerve-wracking to cut low into old wood. Will the shrub recover from such a hard pruning? There are some particulars around the right season and the variety of plant, but my general experience has been that a healthy deciduous shrub will recover quite nicely from even a deep pruning. There are dormant buds down low on the stems of most shrubs. In this video, I'll show you three examples of the results of my heavy pruning this year and last.

If you find these videos useful, there are a few little things you can do to help me out:

Photo credits:
Pruning saw: Clint Budd (CC BY 2.0)
Leyland Cyprus with Bad Pruning: Donald Bryden (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Mock Orange: Lazaregagnidze (Wikimedia commons) (CC BY-SA 4.0)

[ThisFrenchLife]

I just want to share that I truly value you and your videos. Every time I think I’m doing something wrong with my roses, I come back to your videos to relearn skills, be assured I’m doing the right thing, and restore my motivation in growing roses. I really appreciate you and your work so much. ❤

[eva-mariacoughlin]

Recently, last year, my husband and a friend pruned a plum tree here in the very cold north. I was shocked to see the skeleton. I was convince they killed my tree who had just started giving a good crop. But now I see new shoots coming, and watching you pick off the shoots of your apple tree, I learned today to do the same to the plum tree to encourage, as you said, all the energy to go to the top shoots! THANK YOU, you are a very good teacher!

[kumudinihomegarden]

It helped 👍
Today itself i have pruned my roses quite heavily as they were looking shabby, out of shape and scanty flowering.
Your video is my part of research 😊👍

[jenniewilliamsmural]

I love your approach here and I really dig seeing what happened NEXT. Thank you once again, Jennie

[nanmrushton]

Hi Jason, I have printed my Neighbors Rhododendron. It gets so big and overpowers theirs and mine flower beds. It's very old and established so good root system. I've cut out the really thick old stems two about 18" or two feet in height. And pruned back the 1/2" or small and 1" to slightly larger to about 24" to 30". Starting height was 5' to 6'. It's been four years and it huge and beautiful this year. I would not go that drastic in pruning this year but 12" seems about right to 18". This will help my flower bead receive some light and correct the height. My Rhododendron which was only a few years old didn't recover as well from heavy pruning. I'm going to try this year to cut a 1/3 off the top and hopefully push out new from the base. Thank you very much for the encouragement!

[mmadithapeloditirwa]

Very good. I was given 8 rose stumps by a relative in May. I cut most of their brunches, yes they are all doing very well, and all flowering.

[ananarose]

Hi Jason. So glad that you share these tips. Its so helpful. Despite having the same feeling when pruning my heavy climbing bushes. I guess we mustnt be afraid to just rip off unwanted branches....thank you so much. 👍🌹🏵🌸🌻🌾

[GardenDoodles]

We cut down our 6’ tall honeysuckle to the ground in August 2019 thinking that if it doesn’t return we’d put a climbing rose there in its place. This spring, it’s 3’ tall already and even more vigorous.

[gervoi]

I am glad you did this 'follow-up' video. Sometimes those heavy prunes give me a little bit of a scare! Thanks from New York City!

[mikethemoneyman]

Brilliant video. This gave me a good dose of courage as I prepare to hard prune our John Cabot climbing rose, Therese Bugnet rose, and a couple of hydrangea paniculatas. Cheers from Zone 4b in Minnesota.

[dbmgna]

Thank you. I have done this successfully with my azaleas. This year I have cut down my rhododendron. I am watching your videos to learn about caring for my new Rose bushes. Thank you for the education. May you have continued success.

[olgasaldarriaga]

Hi Jasón thanks for answering back .Autumn weather in Chile goes around 2 to 15 degrees Celsius during fall .

[Rkcuddles]

So glad I found this! First winter with the roses and I am scared out of my mind

[bluesky]

I have had great success with rejuvenative pruning. Red twig dogwoods get cut all the way to the ground when they are overgrown, as do ninebark. They come back beautifully. Dwarf burning bush get a nice prune into the larger framework of branches, and this year most of our roses were pruned within an inch of their lives due to our nasty freezes in October and again in April. Zone 5.

[LivingwithBIGdogs]

Thank you, a workman cut my climbing rose almost to the ground. It’s was big and beautiful and untouched! I hope it bounces back!

[carmenbailey]

Thanks for sharing, I actually bought my first rose bush, a ground covering one. 👍❤️😊

[rickolson]

I just pruned roses for the first time. I'm hoping everything went well. I'm generally away from home a month at a time so I won't know for a while. I'm a little stressed but I guess that comes with the territory. 😬

[kasialeparska]

Thanks for great advice, again! 👍❤️🌹❤️ I feel a lot more confident taking care of my 🌹🌹🌹

[marmaladesunrise]

Great video, Jason. Just what I needed to know. Thank you.

[EclipsaRosa]

Your videos are so helpful! I'm glad I found your channel