How to Prune My Shrubs Into Shapes

Choose a very dense evergreen shrub for your topiary. These shrubs grow quickly and will fill out your work to make the shape look more natural. Their dense foliage will also help hide any mistakes and prevent holes from appearing in your work.

Prune your shrub in early spring, before new growth begins to form but after the last frost. Frost will cause cut growth to scab and die. After the last frost, cut growth will fill in quickly. You may need to trim up your shape to redefine the edges, but your shrub will be less traumatized if you shape it before new growth forms.

Decide on a shape. For your first attempt, choose something simple like a sphere, a cube or some other geometric shape. If you’re confident in your skills, choose something a little more complicated like a spiral or an elephant. Pick a very large shrub to shape. These are more forgiving to mistakes and over-trimming.

Prune away all branches that stretch beyond the shape you picked. Cut them at a 45-degree angle right above a closed bud. Begin shaping the plant, beginning at the bottom, cutting each branch as you did the long branches. Step back every few minutes and examine the edges of the shrub to make sure you’re trimming the right shape. Work slowly and be patient, cutting away one branch at a time. Trimming too much too quickly will create a lopsided shape.