When to Prune a Judii Viburnum

Features

• The Judii viburnum is in the Caprifoliaceae family of plants. There are over 150 species of viburnum. Judii viburnum is a hybrid between the carlesii viburnum and the bitchiuense viburnum. It is sometimes called Judd viburnum. Judii viburnum grows up to 5 feet tall, with dense, dark green leaves and good hedge foliage. Judii Viburnum blooms from April through May. The white flower clusters are snowball-shaped and are some of the most fragrant of the viburnum family. Judii viburnum are known for their very heavy flowering. In the fall, after their flowering is complete, judii viburnum will develop their purple fall foliage and black fruit. Comprised of groups of small, round, black pods, the fruit is popular with birds.

Care

• The appeal of Judii viburnum is that they are generally self-sufficient and don't need a lot of help to grow and thrive. They grow best in zones 4 through 8, in moderately fertile soil. Judii viburnum will grow in full sun to partial shade. Once Judii viburnum is established it should not need extra watering. Watering is necessary only during severe drought.

  Judii viburnum will benefit from a layer of mulch to help prevent the growth of weeds. General purpose fertilizer may be used, but is usually not necessary. Fertilizer can be applied either on the leaves or on the ground, near the roots.

Pruning

• Judii viburnum does not need pruning very often. They are usually only pruned to maintain their shape when being used as a hedge. Prune Judii viburnum only after the flowering season is complete. Frequent pruning of Judii viburnum can affect flower and fruit production, so if you do prune, try not to prune very often. Use very sharp pruning shears to avoid damaging the stems.

  On mature plants, about 4 years old or more, older stems may be removed to help promote plant growth. For optimum plant health, remove only about a third of the oldest stems when pruning out old growth. Judii viburnum can be trained as a hedge or even to a single trunk. To prune for a trunk, pinch off side shoots. Continue pinching off any new side shoots along the trunk area until it reaches the desired height.