Be Bold and Prune These 8 Evergreen Shrubs in April: You’ll Get Lush Results That Last, Even if You’re a Beginner Gardener
It’s daunting to snip stems just as they start re-growing in spring, we know, but show these shrubs some tough love with a prune now and they’ll stay in shape for the rest of the year.
April is the best month to prune many evergreen shrubs. All the shrubs in this prune-now edit either flower on fresh new stems, so giving them a trim will stimulate lots of blooms, or they’re grown for their foliage, and a snip will encourage dense growth for a lush look. Fresh spring foliage will quickly cover up cut ends, too. Pruning these shrubs now also means they'll stay in a neat and tidy shape for the rest of the year – and as they're evergreen, we do mean all year!
For best results, you’ll need to choose the exact right moment to prune these shrubs – but that’s really easy to work out with two simple criteria.
First, wait until your evergreen shrub has just started to show new spring growth, with leaves that are lighter or redder in tone than the mature, deep green foliage. That shows the weather is warm enough for strong growth, so your shrub will bounce back quickly from a prune. Secondly, wait until you’re nearing or have passed your last frost date, depending on your USDA zone. The new stems and leaves your shrub grows post-prune will be tender, so are vulnerable to being damaged by frost. Waiting until April to prune these shrubs means the fresh new growth stimulated by your tough love won’t be zapped by late frosts.
Article continues belowHere are the shrubs to prune now, and exactly how much to snip off so you can be confident with your shears, even if you’re a beginner gardener. Do check for nesting birds before you begin, though, and don't prune if you're lucky enough to have resident feathered friends.
1. Lavender
This popular subshrub flowers on new wood so it’s safe to give it a good tidy now. If you’ve left lavender flower stems in place over winter (which is a great idea, as finches love to nibble on the seeds), snip them off, along with around an inch of leafy growth, to create a shapely mound. Be careful not to cut into the woodier parts of the plant when you prune lavender, as stems may not regrow. The easiest tool to use to achieve a good shape is a pair of hedge shears such as these self-sharpening shears from Amazon.
2. Santolina
Cotton lavender needs a hard prune in spring to remove frost damage and encourage new growth, and to prevent the plants from becoming leggy and untidy. Reduce stems by around a half, cutting to about 1 inch above the old growth with hand pruners such as these from Amazon. Just don’t snip into the older, woodier stems when you prune santolina as these may not regrow.
3. Boxwood
Buxus sempervirens often shows some winter damage, so in April, concentrate on removing any dead, diseased or damaged branches, pruning back to healthy wood using hand pruners such as these from Amazon. You can lightly shape the shrub, too, to encourage new growth. Using a handheld shrubbery trimmer such as this from Amazon gives neat results. Be sure to choose a dry day to prune boxwood, as pruning on a wet day can lead to box blight.
If you’re growing your box as topiary in a colder zone, it’s best to wait until May before giving it a harder prune because new growth is so vulnerable to weather damage. Once all danger of frost has passed, it's safe to reduce stems by up to a third.
4. Laurel
A popular hedge plant, laurel is a fast-growing shrub so needs a spring prune to keep it in shape. Get rid of any dead, damaged or diseased stems using hand pruners such as these from Amazon, then think about allowing light and air to the plant and prune accordingly. So, keep the hedge base a little wider than the top and consider removing a few inner branches if growth is getting congested.
Damaged laurel leaves heal to leave a brown edge so many people choose to use shears such as these from Amazon, then go over to snip off cut leaves with hand pruners, rather than a hedge trimmer.
5. Hebes
Hebes are slow-growing so don’t need much pruning, but often suffer winter damage. Removing any dead, damaged or diseased stems with hand pruners (such as these from Amazon) in April, always cutting back to just above a bud, will keep your plant healthy and tidy. If you're growing a small-leaved hebe for its foliage, then lightly trim for shape with shears (such as these from Amazon) instead. Be careful not to cut into the older woody parts of hebe stems without leaves as the plant will struggle to regrow from here.
6. Privet
April is an excellent time of year to prune privet as it will recover quickly, just as long as no birds are nesting. Remove any dead, damaged or diseased branches with loppers such as these from Amazon, then shape the sides and top of the hedge with shears or a hedge trimmer such as this from Amazon. Privet is highly resilient so you can be harsh and reduce growth by up to a third, as long as you feed it with a compost mulch afterwards to fuel regrowth. Aim to shape the base of the hedge slightly wider than the top, to allow plenty of sunlight to reach lower branches.
7. Heather
Whether your heather is winter-flowering (Erica) or late-summer-flowering (Calluna), April is a good time to prune. Use a pair of hedge shears to lightly shape the shrub, removing faded flowers and stem tips, and avoiding cutting into woodier growth as this may not regrow. This keeps heather compact and dense with blooms. Any shears such as these hedge shears from Amazon will do the job, but do ensure they're sharp: a gardening tool sharpener such as this gadget from Amazon makes it easy.
8. Arborvitae
April is the prime time to prune arborvitae and you can safely remove around a quarter of growth, just as long as you don’t cut into old, bare wood as the plant will struggle to regrow from here. Cut out any dead, diseased or damaged stems, too. In a hedge, keep the base of Thuja slightly wider than the top to allow sunlight to reach the lower branches. Use strong loppers (such as these from Amazon) to remove branches that are thicker than ½ inch; a pruning saw (such as this from Amazon) is useful for removing large branches in a congested space, too. Using a powered hedge trimmer such as this from Amazon to shape your arborvitae will give you a neat finish.
