| My Pieris Japonica is getting bigger and unruly at the bottom of the plant. Can I trim it? How and When? |
| Pieris japonica usually needs very little pruning, with the possible exception being to remove dead, diseased, or damaged wood which can be removed as soon as you see them. Otherwise, the best time to trim it would be right after it blooms in the spring. Pruning at other times would remove flowering wood. It is better to cut selectively than to shear it. Cut back only the longest branches, cut just outside a side branch. Some varieties are potentially quite large. If it is too large for the location where it is planted you might consider replacing it with something that will mature to a size that fits in the space. |
