- Shrubs can be pruned for shape and growing pattern development after the hottest part of the year. This is when the growing season is coming to a close and the shrubs are getting ready for dormancy. The ideal pruning time is within a week or two of the last blooms on other plants. Across the U.S. this can mean as early as late August and as late as early November. Pruning needs to be done before the first frost in order for the trimmed stems and branches to harden and prepare for winter. Those same stems and branches will sprout new growth in the spring.
- Blooming flowers should be pruned after the last blooms fall. This enables the plant to store nutrients and prepare for cold weather. Anytime between the last blooms and the first frost is ideal for pruning. Depending on your location, this should be sometime between the beginning of August and the end of September. Southern climates stay warm longer and may have a longer blooming time. Perennial flowers that come back each year fall dormant through the coldest part of the year and begin a new growing season in early spring.
- Many gardens have greenery or ground cover plants that need to be pruned for control and shape. It is important that you do any pruning before frost occurs. These plants can be trimmed throughout the year, but for the winter a more severe pruning is in order so that the greenery will survive through the winter and resume spreading and growing in the spring.
