How to Prune Potted Shrubs Before Overwintering

Potted shrubs add a touch of ambiance and green to porches, entryways, decks and walkways. Due to exposure to a great amount of air circulation around the roots, container plants can be severely injured or killed in the winter. The roots are open to below-freezing temperatures on every side. As the temperatures fluctuate, the soil freezes and thaws, shocking the shrubs. The roots are torn and branches broken. It's essential to overwinter the plants, and to prune them before doing so.

Pruning shears
Gloves

Instructions

- 1
  Prune unproductive branches, thinning out diseased, weak or dead wood. Cut off spent flowers. Remove stems that are crossing or rubbing against each other within the canopy to improve air flow.
- 2
  Leave the strongest and straightest branches in place. Cut off any straggly, unproductive wood at the point where it meets healthier branches.
- 3
  Cut off suckers and sprouts growing at the base of the shrub. These steal nutrients from the rest of the plant. The shrub needs all the water and nutrients it can get to make it through the overwintering process. Snip them off where they grow from stronger branches.
- 4
  Avoid removing large branches. This can be hazardous because the shrub doesn't have time to recover before winter sets in. Heavy pruning should be reserved for the late winter or early spring.
- 5
  Remove unnecessary growth in the spring, once the shrub is out of the overwintering phase. Trim branches that may have broken or become damaged over the winter.

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