Q: Can I trim and shape my globe evergreen bushes and if so, can I do it this spring? They’ve been in place a number of years and do have dead branches inside. What would you suggest for trimming back ...

Q: I need to prune an arborvitae hedge because it is too tall. I’d like to remove 3 or 4 feet off the top of these shrubs. When is the best time to prune them? A: Late winter or early spring is ...

One task that home gardeners can spend a lot of time on is pruning their shrubs. There are four reasons that you might engage in this task: to affect flower or fruit production; to direct the growth ...

Most bushes that flower in the summer do so on new growth. That means you can prune anything you like in the spring, since the new growth hasn’t started yet. Butterfly bush and rose of sharon fall ...

My Emerald Green arborvitae was looking good earlier in the year but now is turning brown and shedding. What is causing this and is there anything I can do to save this? Missouri is a struggle for ...

End of winter is the best time of year to prune shrubs that flower later in the growing season, i.e. from mid-June and after. The reason is that later-flowering shrubs bloom on “new wood.” This means ...

Cutting back certain evergreens in the fall can exposure their limbs to winter damage or cut off their buds, preventing a ...

Someone recently told me that a woody shrub should never be pruned of old wood because it could die. Is this true? I have a viburnum in need of pruning. That's a new one to me! This is not true, but I ...

If you don’t have an arborvitae tree or shrub in your yard, chances are your neighbor does. Arborvitaes are among the most commonly planted evergreens in Chicago-area landscapes. Many yards and ...

Dear Master Gardener: Is spring the best time to prune trees? Answer: Pruning at the correct time is important for the health of your trees. Pruning during the late dormant season (late winter, before ...

Editor’s note: Throughout the growing season, Mike Hogan, OSU Extension educator for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Franklin County, will answer gardening and home landscape questions submitted ...