How to Cut Back Juniper

Juniper plants are usually shrubs, ground-cover plants or low-growing trees. They are evergreen and used as foundation plants around many homes and buildings. If left uncared for, juniper shrubs can grow large and unwieldy. They can also develop unsightly brown dieback from winter injury. Cut back the juniper plants in early spring before any new growth emerges. Just don't cut back juniper too severely, or you could cut into the dead zone, and the spots will not fill in with foliage again.

Pruning saw
Pruning shears

Instructions

- 1
  Cut out any dead, damaged or diseased branches from the juniper bush. Hold the dead, damaged or diseased branch in one hand and hold the pruning saw with the other hand. Make the cut with the pruning saw at the base of the dead, damaged and diseased branch. Saw through the branch to remove it from the bush. Repeat this process on any dead, damaged or diseased branch in the juniper bush.
- 2
  Locate the healthy branches you want to prune back. Find a side shoot, an area of the healthy branch that is growing a tuft of needles, and cut the healthy branch back to the tuft of needles with the pruning shears. Trim the branch off at an upward-facing angle right in front of the tuft of needles. Avoid cutting into the side shoot.
- 3
  Prune the juniper bush's healthy branches from the top to the bottom as described in Step 2. Make sure the bottom of the juniper bush is wider than the top of the bush. Prune the bush so the top tapers off at a 20- to 30-degree angle to avoid shading the lower branches.

My Holly Bush Is Not Thriving

How to Separate Hardy Hibiscus

Shrubs