How to Trim Juniper Bushes

Juniper bushes are evergreen shrubs that are easy to maintain in any home landscape. Juniper shrubs are fast growing and must be trimmed back annually to help the bush stay healthy and keep an attractive shape. Prune juniper bushes in the spring before new growth appears to encourage new and bushy growth. After proper trimming, a juniper bush will recover and produce an abundance of new growth.

Things You'll Need

• Pruning shears

Instructions

1. Examine the juniper bush in the spring before the bush begins new growth for the growing season. Find dead branches, broken branches and branches that appear unhealthy. Stand back and look for branches that grow out at angles that disrupt the shape of the bush. Make note of these branches so that you can remove them.

2. Use the pruning shears to remove dead branches, broken branches and unhealthy branches at the point where they originate. For best results, this should not be more than four or five branches at one time. If more branches than this are dead or unhealthy, choose the worst five branches and remove them. Wait until the next spring to remove any more branches.

3. Shape the top of the juniper bush so that the upper branches are short enough that they do not hang over the lower branches. This will enable the lower branches to receive adequate sunlight throughout the growing season. As you shape the juniper bush, never remove more than 25 percent of the growth. Never cut back past green growth into woody growth; the woody growth will not regrow if you cut into it.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid trimming lower branches of the juniper bush unless these branches are dead or unhealthy. Lower branches will not regrow and the juniper bush may become unbalanced with too much growth on top and not enough growth from lower branches.

References

• Juniper Pruning
• Juniper Bushes