Rejuvenation Pruning for Spirea and Lilacs: Why Spring is the Best Time
We’re talking about rejuvenation pruning, a simple but powerful technique that keeps flowering shrubs like spirea and lilacs healthy, vibrant, and blooming year after year.
Why Rejuvenation Pruning Matters
Shrubs such as spirea, lilacs, forsythia, privet, and burning bush all benefit from rejuvenation pruning. Over time, these plants develop older, woody stalks that become tired and less productive. Without proper pruning, you end up with shrubs that look overgrown, dull, and sparse in blooms.
Rejuvenation pruning encourages new, healthy growth from the base of the plant. This method prevents the entire shrub from aging out and losing its shape and vitality.
When Is the Best Time to Prune Spirea and Lilacs?
The ideal time for rejuvenation pruning is late winter to early spring—March or April in most areas. That’s when the plants are just coming out of dormancy and ready to push out new growth.
How to Perform Rejuvenation Pruning
Here’s a simple guide:
Selectively cut older stalks to the ground. This opens space for new growth to thrive.
Leave some younger stalks intact to maintain the shrub’s structure while promoting regeneration.
Watch as new sprouts emerge from the base, bringing a fresh, vibrant look to your landscape.
As David shows in the video, you can already see new green shoots popping up from the ground on both spirea and lilacs after this method is applied.
More About Rejuvenation Pruning
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