Trimming Spirea

[December99]

I have two very LARGE white spirea bushes that are going to need some trimming this year. My neighbor suggested that I trim then down very low but here's my question....

When is a good time to trim them (I know not when they are in the process of blooming) and...

How far down is a good length to trim them down too?

I am 4'10" and they are taller than me...by about 2 inches in spots.

 

[Mamu]

I know there are different type spirea bushes. Spirea are one of those shrubs that benefit greatly from a good trimming.

Have you ever pruned this shrub? If not, is this how large you want the shrub?

I would prune it to the size you want. If it's never been pruned it may be quite woody when it's first pruned. It will come back fuller. Although it may take a couple of years of pruning to get it into good shape.

I have a pink spirea. After it flowers I prune this shrub down to a 2 foot ball. Looks terrible a first. I make sure to water it every day. Soon new growth appears. By next spring it has grown into a beautiful 4 foot ball, and it's covered with blooms. I repeat every year after it blooms, this way I always have a controlled spirea.

 

[TimNDansMom]

This is a timely topic as I have a pink spirea too, Mamu. I didn't know that you can trim it back so much but mine has gotten far too big so I'm going to do it. Luckily it's behind some big hostas so it won't be seen with it's "short haircut" until the hostas die back in the fall.

 

[December99]

Thanks!!!! I did trim it last fall and it got very large this year. So I guess I'll trim it down to about 2 feet and see what happens next year. So I am assuming that I can trim it about now since there are no blooms!!!???

Thanks

 

[Snowwark]

I don't have a spirea '99, but judging from the responses and from your experience with pruning it last fall, I'd go ahead and do it.

Any other advice Buds?

(((((( HUGS )))))) to you Chris, at this difficult time.

Kim

 

[Glinda]

I have the smaller spireas. In the spring I thought they were deado. I cut them back down to the ground and sent them to our plant hospital. That's a garden in the far back corner of the property where bushes either recover or die a slow death. Anyway, the spirea weren't dead and had a full recovery. I think they loved the big cut back. Next spring I'll return them to the garden in the front.

 

[Snowwark]

Glinda, I have several plants I should ship down to your plant hospital, maybe you can revive them for me...lol!

Glad to hear the spirea recovered!