How to Prune a Barberry Shrub
Barberry is a genus of deciduous and evergreen shrubs known for its brightly colored winter berries, low-maintenance requirements, ability to grow in a wide range of conditions and climates and pronounced thorns. Pruning is rarely required or recommended unless barberry is used as formal sheared hedging. Heavyweight, thorn-resistant gloves and a few long-handled garden tools are integral to the task. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Long-handled loppers
- Pole saw
- Elbow-length garden gloves
- Long-sleeve shirt
- Long-blade shears
- Trash can
Instructions
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Conduct light maintenance pruning throughout the year as needed to remove any dying, diseased or broken branches that you see during regular inspection at watering time. Cut back the damaged branch to the crown of the plant to maintain the natural fountain form of the shrub.
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Shear down flat planes of barberry hedging with long-blade manual or electric shears as needed to maintain the desired size and shape of the shrubs. Hold the cutting blades parallel to the shrub for flat expanses and at an angle for curved expanses.
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Discard all clippings in a garbage can brought to the pruning site as you will not easily be able to carry bundles of the clippings due to the thorns.
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Tips & Warnings
Opt for long-handled tools over short-handled tools that require you to reach into the shrub to make cuts as this will cut down on the nicks and scratches to your skin.
Never attempt to prune or work around barberry without donning heavy gloves and wearing a long-sleeve shirt and/or jacket. Its thorns or spines are very sharp, long and are distributed rather densely along the branches.
