| I planted 8 royal burgundy barberry shrubs in may -07. I had to cut dry/dead branches off in the summer, resulting in uneven sizes os shrubs. can I prune/cut down branches to even out appearance w/o affecting new growth in the spring? |
| The best way to even out the appearance of your shrubs is to wait until spring and then prune them all at once. New growth will cover the bare spots and they should look attractive by early next summer. I'm afraid that if you prune now, it will encourage new growth which will not have time to harden before winter sets in. This tender growth will be killed back by winter weather and you'll need to prune again in spring to remove the dead growth. Why not just live with the lopsided shrubs for now and do your pruning in the spring? |
