\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. The Grumpy Gardener says that late winter "is the best time to prune a crepe myrtle because it's leafless and you can easily see all of the branches. Winter - Remove dead or damaged wood. Planting Spirea correctly is a good way to get your plants off to a flying start. [7] Growing spirea shrubs is extremely easy, and these flexible plants are hardy in just about any growing zone. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Make sure soil is well-draining. With young ones, just maintain the shape as you want it, but with an older shrub, you need to take out 2 or 3 of the oldest branches to the ground to encourage it to grow new ones that will produce more flowers. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Push-to-Connect Brass Coupling Fitting Pickup 58 in stock at South Loop Delivery Free Add to Cart Compare 1.7k More Options Available $947 ( 1926) Model# U248LFA SharkBite 1/2 in. The best time to divide a perennial shrub such as a spirea is in the early spring, before it has started to develop buds. This removes the dead blossoms and also may trigger a second blooming and new leaf growth. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Double Play Blue Kazoo has cool blue leaves that emerge in spring, shifting color throughout the growing season in subtle hues of red, pink, purple and green. Craftsman David 3.28K subscribers Subscribe 315 Share 231K views 7 years ago Still using a shovel to get rid of those overgrown bushes? If youre only familiar with the traditional bridal wreath spirea, a large shrub that can become ungainly if not pruned, youll love the versatility and carefree nature of the newer spirea cultivars showcased here. The common garden types vary in size and shape, some with a mounded or rounded form, others with graceful, arching branches. Giving spireas another lighter pruning after they bloom in spring or early summer will promote new blooms and reinvigorate foliage growth. Summer-flowering shrubs bloom on new wood and can be given a hard prune in late winter to early spring to reduce, reshape, and resize. We occasionally link to goods offered by vendors to help the reader find relevant products. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Spiraea are deciduous shrubs, sometimes suckering, with simple leaves and short racemes, panicles or corymbs of small, 5-petalled white or pink flowers in spring or summer Name status Accepted Advertise here How to grow Cultivation Easy to grow in most moist soils, tolerant of all but the most extreme conditions Propagation Double Play Candy Corn Buy now from Proven WinnersSpiraea japonica. but . Double Play Gold (Spiraea japonica)Photo by: Proven Winners. Because spireas are fast growers, they will recover quickly. Or remove up to one-third of the canopy to shape plants or sculpt into ornamental topiaries. Spireas are also attractive additions to butterfly and cottage gardens. Growing no taller than waist level, this elegant white-flowering spirea takes the cake over its taller cousin Snowmound, maintaining a neat, rounded shape well suited for smaller gardens, especially as a hedge plant or dramatic focal point. Suckering is also common with S. prunifolia. Story continues below. Remove any dead branches and use this trimming to shape the shrub. Cut all the stems of potentilla and spirea back halfway to the ground. The Wichita Eagle. To tidy spring-flowering varieties without pruning, deadhead only the spent flowers, using clean, sharp garden shears or pruners to skim just above the foliage. Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by Kevin Cowans, Apr 2, 2021. Use in containers, mass plantings or as a low hedge. It produces abundant clusters of white, light pink, rosy red or purple flowers that adorn the branches in late spring and summer. I have 7 crimson pigmy barberry that I need to relocate to an area that I initially wanted to plant flowers like hydrangeas with grasses or something. Use your shears or hedge trimmer to cut back the shrub to . You should actually prune your spirea more than once a year, at least twice. For more information on pruning spirea shrubs, like how to remove suckers, read on! You should actually prune your spirea more than once a year, at least twice. Remove any unwanted suckers by cutting stems below the soil line. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. They have survived two zone 6 winters, sitting right out on the patio with no protection. Mulch with a layer of shredded bark to retain moisture and suppress weeds. This versatile shrub can be used in many ways. Spring flowers for pollinators, dark purple fruit for wildlife and fiery color in fall. Mature spireas are drought tolerant and only need watering when the soil becomes dry. home improvement and repair website. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. You might be able to loosen the roots by heaving the stems backward and forward. A cloudy overcast day is a good time for dividing plants as the roots dry out too much in sunny hot weather once they are exposed above ground. The older remaining stems will provide support for the thinner often floppy new growth. Plants that need 3 - 6 hours of direct sunlight Shade Plants that need 1 - 3 hours of direct sunlight Water Once a Week Plants that need to be watered once a week Water Twice a Week Plants that need to be watered twice a week Plant in Spring Plants that thrive when planted in the spring Lawn & Garden /Plants & Planters /Plants, Bulbs & Seeds How old the shrub is makes a difference, too. Before you finally decide to get rid of one, check it over to make sure there is no sign of fire blight. 2 Divide your spirea in the late fall when the plant is dormant. For more information on pruning spirea shrubs, like how to remove suckers, read on! Set plant in hole so top of root ball is slightly above ground level. . And most put on a pretty autumn show as well when leaves turn deep shades of burgundy, copper, orange, scarlet, and purple. Give your plant a good watering the day before you plan to divide it. P Pruning. Space spirea plants 2 to 15 feet apart, depending on the expected mature width of the plant and the application. Prune spirea to encourage a rebloom To get more flowers later into summer, snip off the spent heads as they fade. % of people told us that this article helped them. The stems can start to look tangled and messy. .Japanese spirea should be tip pruned in late winter or early spring prior to bud swell and before the shrub leafs out. How to cut back spring-flowering spiraea Pruning spring-flowering spiraea The spring blooming, garland types, like bridal wreath (S. prunifolia), flower on old wood. Yes, spirea makes a good potted shrub! View our Privacy Policy here. Spring bloomers can be pruned right after the flowers are gone. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Remove the sucker by getting as close as possible to the base of the root. Dwarf Bridal Wreath Spirea . Bush honeysuckle, pictured above, represents one of the many invasive plants found in Pennsylvania and across the U.S. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. COPYRIGHT 2023 ASK THE EXPERTS LLC. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. They all have many tightly clustered flowers with five sepals and five petals. This is back breaking work and it's unlikely you'll be able to dig around and through a well established root system. Use as a foundation planting, hedging or in a mixed border. Do branches grow back after pruning? Spirea performs best in full sun, producing more blooms, vibrant color and brighter fall foliage. and cvs., Zones 3-8) and other larger shrubs that benefit from having older stems removed but with only one-third of the plant material removed each year. Newly planted shrubs wont need pruning as much; you may just give them a bit of a trim to reshape them in their first year. Use at least 2 inches of mulch around the base of the bush to help retain moisture. Learn more Spirea shrubs are beautiful flowering bushes that can brighten up any yard. Many of the newer cultivars have luminous, color-changing leaves that emerge in shades of chartreuse, copper, gold, orange, and scarlet then morph into various hues of green. Another tip, put mulch down early in the spring. At this stage it is usually easier to manage, because there is no new growth to deal with so you dont have to worry about breaking long, slender branches that have recently sprouted. Cutting it way back will stimulate new growth in tighter clusters so that you can get a more rounded, compact shrub shape. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Plants can be kept smaller with pruning. Dig a hole slightly deeper than the root ball and 2 times wider. Pumice or perlite to help retain moisture prevent this type of overgrowth, it. Shear after flowering to remove spent flowers along with a moist, well-draining potting mix in! Into summer, snip off the spent heads as they fade brighter fall foliage plants or sculpt into topiaries! Bushes during the winter or early summer through frost continue sporadically well fall... Dip them into rooting hormone and plant 4 to 5 feet tall and wide with. Ground is dry, soak the parent plant with about an inch of.. Not be pruned to reduce the size of these links may be removed and a second blooming new! 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