Knowledgebase

When to prune Spirea #773024

Asked September 25, 2021, 12:12 PM EDT

I have some Magic Carpet Spirea shrubs that are overgrown and covering other plants - hosta, evergreens. I did not prune them earlier because of our drought conditions. Can I prune them now in the Fall? If I prune them now, will they bloom next Spring or will I cut off the blooms for next year? When is the optimal time to prune these shrubs? Thanks for your help. Mike

Dakota County Minnesota

Expert Response

I forgot to include photos of the spirea

The Question Asker Replied September 25, 2021, 12:26 PM EDT

Your Magic Carpet blooms on new wood but this is not the time to prune it.  Once it is dormant, all the leaves have fallen off, you can prune it.  As it has become so overgrown, you will have to prune off a large amount this time.  After that the best practice is so trim it a bit quite often during the growing season.  As blooms fade, you can trim them off and gently shape your shrub.  It will probably respond by putting out more blooms.  Here is a link to overall care: 'Magic Carpet' Spirea Care Guide – Learn to Grow Yourself | Garden Analyst

Barbara, Anoka County MG, TCA Replied September 25, 2021, 5:39 PM EDT
The leaves on my spirea are still green (but starting to shrivel up) and have not fallen yet. Can I prune the shrubs now or should I wait until the leaves have turned yellow and fallen off? I would like to do the trimming before the snow falls, but I can wait if now is not the right/optimal time. Would it be better to wait until late winter or early spring to do the pruning? Thanks again.

Mike



On Sep 25, 2021, at 4:39 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

The Question Asker Replied November 27, 2021, 12:51 PM EST

At this point it is really too late to prune your spirea.  Wait until immediately after it blooms in the spring.  You can then trim it back to size.  It will rebloom again later in the early summer.

Barbara, Anoka County MG, TCA Replied November 30, 2021, 8:31 PM EST

Loading ...