How to Prune Viburnum Davidii
Virburnum is an evergreen shrub that grows 3 to 5 feet tall and slightly wider than that. Its leaves are deep green and glossy with three almost parallel veins running down the center. Viburnum davidii grows particularly well in the Pacific Northwest--some varieties are native to the region--but with so many varieties of viburnum to choose from, there is bound to be one for your particular region and climate. Viburnum davidii attracts summer wildlife when it produces metallic-blue, olive-shaped berries. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Remove old or weak viburnum davidii canes periodically by cutting them with shears or a pruning saw.
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Prune viburnum davidii in the fall after the fruit has been eaten by wildlife.
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Thin the shrub selectively to preserve its mounding shape. Trying to shape this shrub into a compact formation will not work. If it gets too large or begins to look messy, thin or head back some of the longer branches.
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Head back overgrown branches by shortening them back to a good bud or lateral branch. Make a clean cut outside the branch collar--where the branch connects to the tree--about 1/4 inch above an active bud or a lateral branch. Leaving a stub will provide an opening for disease or fungal organisms when the stub inevitably dies. Heading opens up the crown, reduces the size of the shrub, and allows for better air circulation.
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Thin the branches of the viburnum davidii back to a main branch, trunk or the soil line. These branches are often smaller than the main branches, may be located below the main branches--too close to the ground, giving the shrub a sloppy appearance--or may be interfering with the growth of stronger branches by growing vertically.
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Make cuts outside the branch collar when thinning and remove the branch 1/2 inch to 2 inches from the main trunk, depending on its size, as Purdue University recommends.
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Disinfect pruning tools in rubbing alcohol between cuts if you are pruning a diseased shrub. If the shrub is healthy, the tools should be disinfected before moving on to another shrub.
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