How to Trim Photinia Bushes

Prune individual branches rather than shearing to promote photinia health.

Photinia is a group of shrubs, of which red tip photinia is the most commonly cultivated. Photinia, depending upon variety, will grow from 8 to 20 feet in height with a 20-foot spread. New foliage is red, turning green as the season wears on. Photinia flowers in late winter into early spring within zones 3 through 5 on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Hardiness Zone Map. The best time to prune the photinia is when it finishes blooming.

Things You'll Need

• Pruning shears
• Rake
• Garbage bag
• Fertilizer

Instructions

1. Inspect the photinia for dead, broken and diseased stems and branches and cut them out with the pruning shears.

2. Thin the interior of the photinia by cutting random inside branches down to the main trunk. Photinia is especially susceptible to entomosporium leaf spot, a fungal disease. Increasing air circulation within and around the plant will help decrease its susceptibility.

3. Cut off individual branches to reduce the photinia's size and to shape it to your taste. It is safe to trim off one-third of the plant per season.

4. Rake the soil beneath and around the photinia bush to remove pruning debris and old mulch. Bag the debris and remove it from the garden to discourage pests and disease.

5. Fertilize the photinia immediately after pruning with a 10-10-10 formula, applied to the soil under the shrub. Water the photinia after fertilizing, to a depth of 6 inches.

Tips & Warnings

• Never shear photinia. Shearing causes an excess of tender new growth, which is attractive to the fungi that cause leaf spot.

References

• North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension; Pruning Basics; Paul G. McKenzie, et al.
• WalterReeves.com; Photinia- Pruning; Walter Reeves
• North Carolina State University; Entomosporium Leaf Spot on Red Tip; Ronald K. Jones, et al.; November 2000
• "Pruning: A Practical Guide"; Peter McHoy; 1993