When to prune Spirea? - Ask Extension
I have 4 Magic Carpet Spirea that are two years old and have not been pruned yet. I am assuming that now, the beginning of the growing season, would n...
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When to prune Spirea? #743684
Asked April 11, 2021, 12:47 PM EDT
I have 4 Magic Carpet Spirea that are two years old and have not been pruned yet. I am assuming that now, the beginning of the growing season, would not be the best time to prune them, but I would like to do some pruning and trimming to help them maintain their shape. The shrubs continue to flower throughout the summer. When is the best time to prune them? Thank you. Mike
Dakota County Minnesota
Expert Response
You could do some shaping now but the main pruning should be done after the first spring bloom. They will produce new blooms after the pruning. In fact, you could even do some light pruning after the second round of blooms and it will encourage some new blooms.
Thank you for your information on pruning my spirea. It looks like the spirea have mostly completed their first spring bloom. Most of the flower heads have turned brown. Is this a good time to do some pruning? How much can I or should I cut them back? They are really spreading our and covering other plants.
Thanks for your help.
Mike
You can do some trimming now but the hot/dry weather is going to stress your shrub. If it is possible to wait a bit longer until cooler temps it would be preferred. However, if you do prune, cut up to 1/3rd and the make sure you water, water, water. Do not fertilize.
Thanks for the advice. I will definitely wait until the weather turns cooler.
On Jul 15, 2021, at 4:40 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
