I'm glad you brought topic of pruning vs transplanting and articulated some of my own thoughts I'm having on a subject lately.
While now I'm more experienced gardener than I was 3-4-5 years ago when vast majority of my shrubs were planted and today in most cases I could 'see' mature shrub in 12-18" tall baby, I still making a lot of mistakes in placements, be it future size, shape or even cultural preferences.
Sometimes moving (with all assotiated drawbacks) could be the only remedy, but sometimes selective/judicial pruning could solve a problem.
I think that every case should be viewed as an individual and not one-solves-it-all rule is exist or could be created, but...
...in general...
Don't fight the nature, let the plant be what it want to be. If it don't do what YOU want it to do, don't blame the plant, YOU chose the wrong plant for the right place, not a plant chose that spot for you.

I could provide a lot of 'pruning success stories', but could produce as many stories about fighting the nature for several years which ultimately ended up in transplantation as a final remedy.
I have no mental reservations about moving shrub or tree from one place to another, but appropriate spots either already taken or simply do not exist, thus 'pruning forever' could be the only solution. Unfortunately.

runktrun,

You sound just like me about pruning. Some of us learn best by having a real person standing next to us to show us how to prune a particular shrub - he/she does one clip, you do the next.

I actually saw an advert locally about a person that could be hired to help you do just that! But I haven't called yet.....

Do you have a local garden shop you go to that might be able to hook you up with someone in your area? A few bucks now might be just the thing to get you over your fears of pruning - the how and when.

It's interesting to read the perspective of the "prunophobic," since remedial and structural pruning is a large part of my livelihood as a professional horticulturist/gardener.

Throwing in my 2 cents' -- The best advice I can offer is to get to know the habit of your individual shrub species and varieties, by looking at photos of mature versions, and by standing back and walking around your own plants at different times of year. Just as we come to recognize the habits and natural proclivities of perennials in the flowerbed, the shrubs' mysterious forms will reveal and demystify themselves under scrutiny. ;)

Think of those X-Ray glasses that used to get advertised in comic books. Uh...at least, they did when I was a pup. When you look at a shrub, try to see past the new growth and smaller limbs, branches and twigs to discern the natural shape and "flow" of the plant. If your shrubs aren't too dense on the surface -- such as from shearing -- you should be able to see it.

There plenty of gardening books with info on pruning available, and most if not all of them offer diagrams of basic shrub forms and how they would look without the extra growth. Most contemporary gardening books by popular English gardeners with television shows (Monty Don, Allen Titchmarsh, Peter McHoy, the whole slew) have a section on pruning and they're pretty straightforward. There's also the Ortho guides and even Home Depot has pruning in one of its landscaping manuals. It's not rocket science, but it does require us to pay attention to details.

Winter is the best time to look at deciduous shrubs, since the leaves won't obstruct your view. Even a broadleafed evergreen such as rhodos and azaleas have more visible infrastructure on cold days when their leaves curl. You can use that season to recognize and evaluate what you have.

The safest way to get into pruning is to take only dead or diseased wood, or the weaker/uglier of two crossed branches that are rubbing. Taking them out can only improve the condition of the shrub, and you won't be compromising any flowering potential. Just removing dead wood can change the entire appearance of a shrub. I've cleaned up yews, azaleas, burning bush and hollies that seemed opaque at the start, and then, after removing only dead branches and twigs, had an open and airy habit when done. You could see the true form of the shrub.

If you start there, it will likely be easier for you to move into aesthetic pruning of live, healthy wood later. Then you'll start becoming an expert on knowing how much live wood it's safe to take (up to a third; there are some exceptions, particularly with the more vigorous species, but the 1/3rd rule is a good base to work from), and what wood the shrub blooms on if its a flowering shrub -- new wood or old? -- and timing your pruning for a season that doesn't interfere with the buds.

Remember that you can't go wrong sticking to dead/diseased/rubbing wood removal. It's a good way to start, and once you've done your first shrub prune, you'll see how easy (though time consuming when it's a big, mature shrub that's never been pruned) and "zen" the process is.

Great topic! As a reluctant pruner and lazy gardener, I have very few success stories in this area. I'm happier living with an overgrown shrub than risking turning it into a muffin.

Not that I'm afraid to prune, I just really prefer shrubs that look untouched, even if they're a little sprawling or messy. When I DO prune, I try as hard as I can to remove branches all the way to the ground, or at least to a low joint, avoiding that "heading back" technique that often produces clumps of twigs at branch ends. In fact my favorite way to prune is the one I use on a giant old wigela every 5 years or so - cutting it back to the ground in spring.

So, I can't help answer your question, but I sure can sympathise.

knock on woood, I have not had the problem of daphne sudden death. on the contrary, Mine is 5'wide and growing. I need to prune. I am afraid to prune. I recently glanced at an article about pruning daphnes (it can be done) but it really wasn't very informative and besides, I have no idea where it is now. Next spring I think I will try 3" at a time, and if the plant is still doing fine in a few weeks, I'll prune more.

Who has pruned a daphne?
Marie

Great advice that doesn't need addition.

I started pruning without fear when I realized that deadheading is a prelude to pruning, and what good gardener doesn't deadhead???

(The logic worked for me and my plants are happier for it....:-)

Martie

I can identify with just about everything that has been said. I also have hesitation to prune, despite having also read lots of books on the subject and tune into every gardening show on TV that might cover the subject.

I DO prune. Sometimes I am happy with it and sometimes not as much. [g] I guess I do what cady has suggested, I take off the dead/diseased/rubbing wood and that is quite an improvement. I have gotten into a problem by then attempting to shorten the shrub and end up with the effect that DtD mentions, producing clumps of twigs at the branch ends.

I do love a shrub that I can prune to the ground..lol. Butterfly bushes come to mind. I seem to manage ok, nothing that looks like a 'muffin' [great visual]. But one day I had hired a landscaper to install some new shrubs and in the process he pruned up one that was staying in the bed. OMG, I was just dumb struck, watching him prune it. In about 10 minutes flat he was finished. NO walking around the bush a dozen times, thinking about every cut. It looked amazing when he was done! Either he just has a certain talent for it, or he trained for a long time next to someone who was expert at it. I was very jealous..lol!

I like the idea of hiring a pruner to come and teach you to prune while he is pruning your shrubs. :-)

I was scared as heck to prune my apples and wild plums. I have a book called "the Backyard Orchardist" or something that made some easy suggestions, and had a few big mistakes to avoid (like topping).

I started pruning the easy parts- dead wood, crossed branches. Then I figured out that the plums are an open "vase shaped", and the apples wanted a central leader.

Well- I cut out a lot of branches. I hope this spring that I'll have a success story to tell :)

Oh, come on, kids! Get your feet wet! Martie is right -- pruning (particularly dead wood) is like deadheading perennials.

And for those who think that their shrub will end up looking like a meatball, don't confuse shearing with pruning. Shearing is the intentional surface-shaping of a shrub, not the remedial and structurally-enhancing process of pruning.

Besides, if you don't like the way it looks, keep in mind that it's like a hair cut you don't like -- it will grow out. lol

Prairiemoon, some of my clients (not many, but a couple) watch and ask questions when I prune their bushes and small ornamental trees. I think they would like to be able to take off a diseased or dead branch themselves when they see it, rather than have the gardener come in to handle just one item.

It pays for avid gardeners to learn how to prune and to do at least the smaller shrubs themselves. This is because you can have control over the process and fitting the shrub to your design plans. It's also cheaper than hiring pros like me. :)

As for getting comfortable with the process, rent the old movie, Karate Kid, where the old Japanese gardener is teaching his young apprentice how to clip a tree into bonsai. He says... "Close eyes. Think only 'tree.' You see picture of tree in head? Good. When open eyes, make that picture..." Corny, but it works.

But again, I can't recommend enough that you start with removing dead wood to clean up the shrub. It's one thing to like untouched greenery, but excessive dead branches and twigs are not good for the health of the plant. They impede light and the flow of air through the branches, create dark moist conditions that attract mealybug, scale and sooty mold. Why not give them optimal conditions to thrive in your garden?

cady..thanks for that reminder of that great illustration in the 'Karate Kid'. Haven't seen that movie in years, but he had a couple of succinct wise old sayings, didn't he? I also liked the one about 'wax on, wax off' ..lol. Really though, I think that to be able to close your eyes and see the 'tree' that you want to end up with and then be able to produce that with the right cuts, is something not everyone finds easy at all.

I actually love pruning. I do an okay job of it, and anything that gets pruned in our yard, we do ourselves. I just think there is a big difference in an okay job and the work of art, some people are capable of. :-)

But of course, you are right, few of us can afford to hire someone for all our pruning, so I have attempted to learn to do at least an adequate job. So, I can only commiserate with those of you who feel the same way. It would be nice to have an 'artist' take a turn around the yard once in awhile. :-)

Just popping in with a FYI-the New England Wildflower Society has a pruning course and they teach you on their shrubs (!!!) and allow you to prune them. I have spoken with someone who has taken the course and they found it very helpful. I think the course is in March or maybe early April at the Garden in the Woods in Framingham. The Fall/Winter schedule comes out some time in September.

NewfieWoofie reveals a Great Truth: Pruning will not ruin your shrubs! That the NEWFS will let you use their precious shrubs as your pruning guinea pigs is case in point. They know that even a beginner will not do fatal damage to their plants.

Remember the first advice you got when learning how to use a computer? "Go ahead, push buttons, try things. No matter what, you will NOT blow up the computer or erase the hard drive. Really."

I was going to broach the subject of having a free Pruning 101 workshop at my or a volunteer's home, as I would be happy to go through the basics. But seeing that NEWFS is having a course, I recommend that if you can attend, you should! They are a fabulous source of hort info. And you can stroll the Garden in the Woods too.

PrairieMoon, I know that the "Think only tree" approach is easier said than done. My point was that sometimes you just have to stop worrying and take the first snip.
"Wax on, wax off" is another classic! The menfolk can play with that idea when they're polishing their cars! lol

This is Not tongue in cheek -- this is how I got started ....

In my old garden I had several established ornamental trees. I knew they needed to be pruned, but was a fraidy cat and just kind of snipped off the really obvious stuff.

In the Spring, after spending the Winter watching these lovelies being tortured by wind and branches crashing into each other, I took action.

All neighborhood kids were invited over. I took strips of ribbon, lots of different colors, and had the kids tie them to branches that should come out near the trunk. In about an hour, I had four trees marked for pruning and the kids had decorated for Spring.

These were probably not pruned at the prime time, but when they started to leaf out I went for it. Feet first. It felt so good to me and the trees.

Make it fun, because it is!! You don't think twice about 90% of the gardening stuff you do. This'll give you the other 10%.

Martie

I never saw Karate Kid, but there's quite an interesting pruning demo in Edward Scissorhands, if you're into shaping shrubs in ... inventive ways.

Yeah, yeah, ok, I admit that I prune shrubs, certainly removing dead wood and keeping them from engulfing the house and each other. I just think that about 75% of the pruned shrubs I've seen in my lifetime would have been better off left alone. Making shrubs "fuller and more compact" sometimes means spoiling their natural shape.

And, IMHO, a lot of pruning is done for the wrong reason - the natural size of the shrub is too big for the space, which really means that the shrub was planted in the wrong place. I'm first to admit that I'm guilty of this - in spades, actually.

Thanks everyone for some really insightful as well as practical advice. Over the last two days this prunophobic has been taking the first steps towards recovery. When I read Cadys suggestion to at the very least cut out the dead wood my initial reaction was I cant be that bad can I?? With shiny pruners in hand I headed out to reassure myself that there couldnt be much dead wood out in the yard I am certainly a better gardener than that. Well to my shock and my dhs delight there are piles of dead branches everywhere and I have just begun. Now I have to share with you I hate doing this I am finding it extremely stressful I keep feeling that by removing a branch that possibly had a little leaf drop and will miraculously recover I am destroying the natural shape of the shrub. I have been trying to visualize the tree shrub as it should be but most of my plants have been so neglected from over crowding or lack of light that they do not now and never will look anything similar to the species standard. I am also finding that in areas that I have planted with the intent of a more native design I have purposely left some die back on a few beach plums and have not removed a clump of dead huckleberry from the area as I think it ads to more of a wild feeling. I know I must sound as though I am searching for any excuse not to prune but I have decided to actively pursue my new plan of action. Step one before moving any plant stop and ask myself if pruning might be a better course of action. Step two continue to remove all dead wood in more formal garden areas. Step three remove weaker and uglier branches. Step four take a valium or shot of whiskey. Treeskate your suggestions motivated me to call a landscaper who I need to install some trees this fall and left a message that I would like to have pruning lessons as well. I also think Cady has hit on a great idea of getting together for a skills exchange/workshop there is so much talent on this forum just off the top of my head I would love to learn more about winter sowing from Prairiemoon, pruning blueberries from Cady, propogating from Ron, hear more about rare and unusual plants from Mindy, Hellobores and landscape design from dtd, shade plants from George, an update from Claire the keeper of the facts, perennial bed design from Monique, Martie, and Mayalena, and of course a garden book review from Marie of Romania (Ken Drusse Writes Porn), just to name a very, very, few. kt

Yay Katy! The pile of dead branches is a medal of courage!
I understand your decision to leave some dead branches on the huckleberries and beach plums for aesthetic reasons (no, I don't think it's an excuse to not prune). In a "wild" garden, sometimes that is the right thing to do so things don't look too domesticated and "perfect." As long as adequate air and light are getting into the heart of the shrub so it doesn't languish with scale, mealybug and mold, then what the heck.

In Nature, storms and wind eventually take out the most seriously weakened of the dead wood, but clumps and tangles of dead wood remain. Whether the plant flourishes or dies depends on whether other conditions are favorable enough for it to overcome any negative effects of dead or diseased wood. It really is survival of the fittest.

But in the garden, deadwood cleanup and the removal of rubbing limbs of pampered domestic cultivars does improve a shrub's chances of surviving and thriving. We take over the hand of Nature and confer advantages the shrub wouldn't have in the wild.

Prune more and you won't feel as traumatized. Clipping dead wood is like trimming fingernails! Your shrubs are secretly grateful. :)

I would love us all to have a workshop/exchange weekend where we could each offer the best of our skills and knowledge. There is, as you say, a lot of talent around, and it would be fun to share the wealth. Maybe after your Polly Hill adventure, we could figure out something for mid-fall or next spring.

Oh, and "Step 4" of your pruning method sounds like what I need before setting out for spring cleanup every year. Though my choice is a liberally-dosed Irish coffee. lol

During my NH Master Gardening classes, we spent a week on pruning. Not enough but it at least got me started and over my fears. We did "in the field" pruning on state owned properties including the University of NH grounds. Having an expert right there guiding us really helped. I'm no longer phobic about pruning in general. But, I'm still confounded with the pruning of a weeping tree! I've got a 'Snow Fountain' cherry that needs pruning. The lower branches are growing into the ground and the tree refuses to gain any height...just wider and wider and wider. I had an aborist out last year to see if we could save a declining sugar maple (answer was no, we can't) and while he was here, I asked about my cherry tree. He showed me what to do but I missed the timing this year due to all the early season rains. Next year, after bloom, I'm going after that tree! It's going to look odd for a couple years but five years from now, I'll have the tree I envisioned when I planted it.

My biggest pruning phobia was lilac pruning. I knew they needed annual pruning to perform at peak but was always afraid of ruining their natural shape. I started with just deadheading the spent flowers...then watching what results those cuts made. The next year, I pruned a little more and watched the rest of the season. After 3-4 seasons, my lilac was blooming twice as heavily and fit in its space perfectly.

I also like stuff you can prune to the ground periodically! But, even with that I get nervous...like with my caryoptersis. It doesn't suffer winter die-back and leaves out early in the spring. It's hard to cut down all that live growth. I didn't do it this spring and now the darn thing is humongous and crowding its neighbors. It's just starting to bloom now. The lack of pruning didn't seem to reduce the bloom which is what I'd been expecting. This is the type of pruning I really don't like. What do I do? Do I just make heading cuts straight across the shrub at about 18"...or, do I do something more tactful? I'm afraid it will grow funny from the straight across pruning cuts since the shrub doesn't winter kill.

Can anyone please help me with my caryopteris? Help!

Triciae,
My caryopteris also doesn't die back, and it's in a container, so I have to keep it neat. This plant takes pruning well, I've found. I just trim it back, making the cuts just above a living leaf or bud, on the underside so the leaf screens the cut from view. You don't even have to be that tidy, though, since it will put out fresh growth quickly after pruning.

Left to its own nature, caryopteris will turn into a bushy 3' shrub and you can just leave it that way if there is space. If not, just cut it back to the desired diameter.

It will bloom for many weeks, so if you don't want to lose any of the flowers you can wait until the frost to cut it back. I just put the cut branches in vases and enjoy the flowers inside.

And even though it doesn't die back during winter, you might still consider cutting it back to the ground for a fresh flush of growth next spring. It won't hurt the plant! I've learned that with unruly shrubs, it's sometimes the best way to keep them looking good and keeping them in bounds. Even my butterfly bush doesn't die back in the milder winters, but it looks so much nicer if I cut it back anyway. Otherwise, last year's growth gets leggy and gawky.

It's amazing how many varieties of woody plants you can cut right back to the ground with no ill effect except maybe loss of current year flowers-shrub dogwoods, Buddleia, Physocarpus, Spirea, Caryopteris, Sambucus, Cotinus, Wiegela, Hydrangeas...just about anything actually. Pruning stuff is an absolute necessity for small space plant collectors like me. Many of the plants I've listed above require hard pruning in the spring to rejuvenate them and encourage better foliage color and/or heavier flowering.

I do alot of deadheading, trimming and cutting back in the garden in general. Today I plan to go out and start cutting back all the spent perennials and backfilling the holes with leftover annuals and coleus cuttings I've propogated. I'm having a party in a couple of weeks and although most of the guests are non-gardeners they know I garden on a rather manic scale and all seem to have this expectation of a glorious garden experience. Next year I may move this party into June...lol.

Sue

Sue,
I think one of the Great Truths is that shrubs that put out canes can all be cut to the ground. That would include almost all of the shrubs you listed. -- except spirea - I don't think that's a caner. All the others are, though. As are viburnums, shrub willows and shrub dogwoods.

Cady -- Would you really consider Viburnum a caner? I've always considered it a trunk and branch plant. Just asking because there may be a variety I haven't seen, yet ;-)

Martie

Martie,
There could be viburnums that just branch, but all the popular garden species I've seen do seem to cane. At this moment, My V. trilobum is sending up a big green cane. Even my "Blue Muffin" shoots new canes of green wood, though the canes are more whiplike.

I think we are talking about pruning IN GENERAL and that is not right.
There should be a reason for you to take pruners in your hands and start cutting shrub or tree and that PARICULAR reason will determine extent and methods you'll use.

Let's try to classify REASONS first.
I see 5 major cathegories. If you think of anything else, please add.
a) pruning for size,
b) pruning for shape,
c) pruning for health,
d) pruning for vigor,
e) rejuvenation pruning.

I think success or unsuccess of pruning mostly determined by pruner's understanding of 1)cultural specifics of particular palnt and 2)the main reason why do you want to prune it.
Prunophobia, IMO, is something that will get away from you as soon as you will be able CLEARLY understand #1 AND #2.

Cady: Gotcha. V. carlesii (my favorite) is definitely a trunk and brancher. Looked at my baby 'Blue Muffin's and the whips are coming from a trunk. Do you still prune the whips back to the trunk? (important to know since the REASON I GET BABY SHRUBS is to prune them properly for the long-term :-)

Couldn't agree more, George. Great list.

Martie

Martie.
Hm. V. opulum/trilobum definitely canes, but I'll have to look at my Blue Muffin again and see whether the whips are coming from the trunk or ground. I'm not an expert in viburnums, as may be evident. ;^)

I let the Blue Muffinis go without pruning early this season, and they sent whips like crazy. They are in part shade, which causes them to be leggy and open in habit, but I like them in that form. However, they need regular selective pruning to keep them from getting too wild and tangled. I didn't get to them until late in July.

As for the whips, I thin them out and leave the strongest and best positions ones. Just cut them back to the old wood, but leave a nub about 1/8" so you don't cut into the trunk itself. For me, since I let the shrubs take a natural form, it's more to keep legginess down, allow light and air in, and encourage just the strongest new growth. You may have other objectives, but I think the main thing is to keep them from getting into a tangled mess.

And I agree with Martie, Ego45, good list, and excellent point. Most pruning I do on the job is for rejuvenation or remedial (removing deadwood, rubbing branches, diseased areas) and occasionally aesthetic (clipping boxes and hollies into shape) or to encourage more prolific flowering and fruiting.