\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. I'll wait another week or two and trim. While plants are still dormant, this is the time to be fairly aggressive, removing dead or damaged branches and reshaping shrubs. Spirea performs best in full sun, producing more blooms, vibrant color and brighter fall foliage. Winter Pruning in winter will encourage a rebloom and keep your bush good-looking as you'll remove all the dead flowers. Overall, Nectarines grow throughout USDA growing zone 5-9, and have the characteristic pinkish, reddish, or ruddy blush to their smooth yellow to . Set the plant in the hole with the top of the root ball at or slightly above soil level. Reduce the top by up to half the overall size. This can help remove non-native plants, while maintaining beneficial areas like pollinator gardens. Similar to the Little Princess Spirea shrub, its leaves will also turn a deep shade of crimson in autumn. Mature plants that havent been maintained often develop an abundance of top growth, sparse flowers, and a tangle of dead and/or bare branches below the canopy. Fall Pruning in fall will allow your spirea bushes to grow new stems capable of flowering while keeping the shrub compact and well-maintained. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Mulch to keep the soil consistently moist. After a couple of weeks, you can prune it back to its original size. Each stem can be cut within 8 to 12 inches from the ground. The other main reason to do regular spirea pruning is to keep your shrubs looking attractive. Pruning removes old and dead wood and produces new shoots for vibrant, youthful plants with full foliage, abundant clouds of flowers, and a manageable size. Once planted, the care of spirea requires a minimal time investment. Dig around to find the roots and cut them back. Completely enrobed in dainty clusters of light pink flowers from late spring through early summer, Little Princess reigns supreme as a showy low-maintenance accent shrub for gardens with limited space. Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by Kevin Cowans, Apr 2, 2021. Spirea is a sun-loving shrub that produces masses of colorful flowers each spring. I don't think that would be great combo w barberry so im looking for other suggestions. problems contact webmaster@doityourself.com. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Cut the branches back to a desired height and shape, removing no more than one-third of the branches. Trimming also gets more airflow between branches, which deters fungal infections and is a good way to restore health and vigor to an overgrown, neglected shrub. Here are some suggestions. Japanese spirea can be pruned in fall or early spring to remove dead branches and keep the plants neat. It may even encourage the spirea to bloom a second time. Backfill the hole with soil and tamp down slightly to remove air pockets. Give your plant a good watering the day before you plan to divide it. wikiHow is a wiki, similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. Set the plant into the hole with the top of the root ball at soil level or slightly above. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This will help retain moisture in the soil over the hotter months, keep the weeds down and, later, protect the roots from the cold as the cooler weather draws in. Check with local experts for regionally appropriate spirea selections. Double Play Candy Corn Buy now from Proven WinnersSpiraea japonica. They not only have tidier growth habits but also more vibrant foliage, so they provide seasonal interest even when not in bloom. Using something like a spade or saw, cut the root crown into quarters. But they all feature masses of delightful, tiny flowers grouped in clusters, flat-topped corymbs, or panicles. See our Top 10 Shrubs for Containers & Small Spaces. These shrubs tend to bloom in the spring and summer months, though some varieties will also produce attractive leaf displays in the fall. Choose a sunny area in fertile, well-drained soil. Fall - Complete a severe prune of the shrub. References If your garden needs some color to offset one-note green-leafed shrubs and evergreens, the striking foliage of spirea Goldflame provides the perfect counterpoint. Space cuttings just far enough apart to allow all leaves to receive sunlight. Remember, flowers form on old wood and pruning at this time for this type results in flower loss. 2 Divide your spirea in the late fall when the plant is dormant. For a full, bud-to-bloom season, spring-flowering shrubs need pruning as soon as flowers fade and finish. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. New foliage is dark red, fading to green, with deep pink flowers in late spring. Pruning Spirea: Tips For Cutting Back Spirea Shrubs, Growing Spirea Shrubs: Information On How To Care For Spirea Bushes, Spirea Plant Varieties: Learn About Different Kinds Of Spirea Bushes, Common Flowering Quince Diseases And Pests, These Weeds That Spread By Seed Can Sprout After Years, 3 Common Gardening Mistakes That Harm The Environment, Crookneck Squash Varieties: How To Grow Crookneck Squash Plants, Harko Nectarine Care: How To Grow A Harko Nectarine Tree, Musk Mallow Care: Growing Musk Mallow In The Garden, Golden Jubilee Peach Variety How To Grow A Golden Jubilee Peach Tree, Home & Garden Marketplace: Advertiser Info. You can use a garden hose (at least twice a week) to knock many of them off the ends of the branches and out into the lawn where they will die. Trim straight across the top of the plant, and when you release the rope you'll have a perfectly rounded spirea. Double Play Candy Corn is a more colorful alternative to Magic Carpet. Reapply each spring. Any plant that blooms in the . A few colorful plants to try are coral bells, lavender, catmint, spirea, dwarf butterfly bush and dwarf forms of weigela. Mature size ranges from 2-10 feet tall and wide. Back fill soil, and water thoroughly to settle the soil. If you have any questions about how to prune spirea, drop us a note in the comments section below. This gold-leafed version of birchleaf spirea provides a longer season of interest, with sunny yellow spring foliage that matures to chartreuse in summer and turns warm shades of red, orange, and purple in fall. How: Dig a hole twice the width of the pot. It also creates a small section of the original plant that can be used to start a new bush. Prune spring-blooming spirea during or just after deadheading, if desired. Use hedge shears. Find locations near you that offer Proven Winners products. They all have many tightly clustered flowers with five sepals and five petals. Dont be afraid to really cut the plant back, as these shrubs will grow back even from severe pruning. Remove the sucker by getting as close as possible to the base of the root. Craftsman David 3.28K subscribers Subscribe 315 Share 231K views 7 years ago Still using a shovel to get rid of those overgrown bushes? Fertilization: it is advisable to fertilize once a year, with two inches of compost at the base of the shrub. New cultivars, such as Double Play Doozie spirea have been developed to be seedless and non-invasive, or consider sweetspire or summersweet as alternatives. Sign up for our newsletter. Double Play Pink is an improved form of Anthony Waterer, with bigger, brighter flower clusters, bolder foliage and a compact habit. 'Pinkie' (Rhaphiolepis indica 'Pinkie') is a good variety to check out in Zones 7-9 for its compact size (2-5'H x 3-4'W). Plan on pruning a spirea bush at least twice a year. Some species seed aggressively in parts of the country. If you wish, you can trim after the flowers fade, which will encourage colorful new growth. Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Space spirea plants 2 to 15 feet apart, depending on the expected mature width of the plant and the application. .Japanese spirea should be tip pruned in late winter or early spring prior to bud swell and before the shrub leafs out. Mix with 20% pumice or perlite to help drainage. Remove a ring of outer canes at or just below soil level. Advertisement Scrape away some soil around the root if necessary. Here are some ideas: Many plants will complement spirea in the landscape. Remove the plant from the nursery pot and loosen the soil around the roots. Have some mulch ready to put around the base of both plants after the division, plus some soil to fill in the hole at the base of the larger plant. Grow spireas in full sun on well-drained, fertile soil. * Required | We will never sell or distribute your email to any other parties or organizations. Planting the shrub in full shade results in stunted growth, and a reduction in the number and size of blooms. To keep your plants in top form, join us now for a look at how to prune spirea for sumptuous shrubs. Once youve finished pruning, give the plant water and fertilizer to help it thrive. Use clean, sharp garden shears or pruners to remove spent flowers along with a few inches of foliage to restore an even profile. Feature a larger variety as a dramatic stand-alone specimen, Plant in a row as a privacy screen along a property line, Use smaller to medium varieties to divide garden rooms, Incorporate a medium to large type as a background plant in a cottage-style or mixed border, Use any size or type to accentuate a woodland setting, Combine in a foundation planting along with other shrubs, Smaller specimens can be planted in containers. Spireas dont like wet feet, so avoid oversaturating the soil. Giving spireas another lighter pruning after they bloom in spring or early summer will promote new blooms and reinvigorate foliage growth. Prune bridal wreath spirea in early summer by cutting out old branches close to the base of the plant. For summer-flowering plants, trim shrubs after blooms have faded to tidy up and encourage a light rebloom with colorful new foliage. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website.