Things You'll Need:
- Pruning shears or snips
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Step 1
Create a pruning or maintenance schedule for your cranberry bush. The European cranberry is unique in that it requires very little pruning. Regardless, establishing a routine for maintenance each year will ensure the best health for your shrub. Choose two months to check over your cranberry, preferably one during the growing season and one during its dormant season. Also check the shrub after hard storms or particularly cold winters.
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Step 2
Determine the best time in the season to prune your European cranberry. Typically European cranberry bushes benefit from pruning in late winter, about one month before frost breaks. This allows the branches time to heal and the plant to begin preparing for the spring's new growth. Additionally, late winter pruning allows the gardener to see all angles of the shrub without leaves.
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Step 3
Plan your pruning. Before you make the first cut, give the cranberry bush a thorough going over. Check it for broken, damaged or injured branches, as well as for any disease. Stand back and observe the bush in its location to determine whether or not branches need to be removed for maintaining an appropriate size and shape.
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Step 4
Use your pruning shears or snips and begin pruning the cranberry. The first candidates for removal are branches that are badly damaged or broken. Cut these away at the joint of the parent branch. Next, remove any diseased or dead branches from the shrub. Remove these branches and either burn them or have them removed by your yard waste collector, because they can harbor harmful diseases and insects that can further damage your cranberry.
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Step 5
Perform a finishing pruning. Step back and observe your cranberry bush. One branch at a time, remove any branches to help form the appropriate shape or cut back the size of your cranberry until it fits its location properly. Remove and dispose of these branches in a burn pile, a compost heap or your lawn waste removal service.
