Trimming Shrubs

Combine 5 parts of water and 1 part household bleach in a container large enough to hold the pruning equipment. Place the equipment into the solution and allow them to soak for five minutes. Take the container with you while you prune if working on a plant with an infection. Dip the shears or loppers into the solution for 30 seconds in between cuts.

Remove dead and broken branches. Cut the dead branches back in stages and stop when you hit healthy wood.

Cut off shoots and branches that sweep the soil and any growth growing far down on the main cane. Cut this off even with the cane.

Thin shrubs overgrown in the center by cutting out small, twiggy growth. Cut these stems back to their points of origin. Thinning the center helps air circulate better, which helps fight off fungal disease.

Shorten a shrub by cutting shoots back to 1/4 inch above an outward-facing bud. For a more natural look, randomly choose the shoots to cut, instead of shearing the top of the shrub with loppers.

Cut any branches or shoots not in keeping with the shrub’s desired shape. Cut this growth back so that it is even with the rest of the shrub.