| I have a 5 year old mass planting of hypericum hidcote that has never been pruned. This year the plants had very little new growth, and are mostly full of bare twigs. Will pruning revive these shrubs or do they need to be replaced? Betty Conyers |
| These plants bloom on new growth, so they need to be pruned annually in late winter to early spring to promote that. You can routinely thin them by removing about a third of the oldest stems (cut them as low on the plant as possible) beginning next spring and continuing each year after that, or since these are badly overgrown, you could cut them back very hard next spring and begin routine pruning the next year. This should stimulate vigorous new growth and many more blooms. |
