| I want to shorten the height of my hibiscus plants. They are about 10 ft tall at the moment. How short can I go in one trimming? Where do I make the cut? |
| Heavy pruning is best done in the early spring (February or March) and should not be done in the fall or winter. Light maintenance pruning may be done any time of the year to remove diseased or dead wood, rubbing branches, and weak or droopy growth. Hisbiscus blooms are produced on new growth, so blooming is delayed and reduced if the plants are pruned heavily during the active growing season. Plants can be pruned to maintain a desired size and shape without disrupting their blooming or appearance by pruning one third of the branches each month for 3 consecutive months. Choose the longest branches first, and prune those back. Thirty days later, choose the medium-length branches, and cut those back. Cut the remaining third cut thiry days after that. Prune back to an outward-facing branch. In the future, remember that light periodic pruning avoids the need for heavy pruning. |
