Cutting These 3 Shrubs Back to a Stump in February Delivers Stunning Summer Color – This Tough Love Trick Really Works

Hard pruning is a gardening technique that should be used selectively. Not all plants benefit from this type of drastic cutting. However, some that do include certain summer flowering shrubs which gardeners rate highly for ornamental displays. Giving these shrubs a winter prune for summer sets the stage for healthy, spectacular growth later – and ultimately dazzling displays, floral or foliage based.

But it can be tough to take to the shears even when you know it’s for the best. Panic can set in when you think about the displays at stake, and that’s understandable enough. So before you dive into this February gardening chore, it helps to understand the pruning basics, which tools to use, and how to make those cuts. Get this right, and your shrubs will bounce back in spectacular fashion.

Here, we explore the transformative power of a hard prune in February and how it can be so important for key flowering shrubs in summer. Appreciating why it is the secret to explosive growth, generous blooms, and vibrant foliage can make these timely cuts less daunting – and more of a show of love for your shrubs. Here’s why you need to be a little heartless with your pruning shears right now…

Why Tough Love Pruning is Essential

A hard prune means cutting back most of a plant, most of the way to the ground. This can be tough for gardeners to do initially, as it feels like you’re destroying your beloved flowering shrubs. Indeed, some gardeners are so intimidated, they put it off, cross their fingers, and hope for the best - but not pruning at all would be a mistake.

If you read up on pruning, you know that you’re often told not to remove more than one-third of a plant at once. A hard prune is an exception to this rule, and is the right move for certain plants at specific times. So when is this pruning the right thing to do, and with what?

The types of plants that benefit from a “tough love” winter prune for summer growth are specific summer-flowering shrubs. These shrubs bloom on new growth, so cutting back old growth now won’t reduce flowering. In fact, it will rejuvenate the entire shrub, ensuring healthy growth and even more flowers.

A hard prune now stimulates new growth, which helps your shrub put out more flowers later. February is the right time for this pruning in many growing zones, because the shrubs are still dormant. Pruning in dormancy reduces stress on the plant. Just avoid cutting in very cold weather. Pruning frozen stems may cause the wood to shatter or crack, leaving the plant vulnerable to rot.

Tough Love Cuts to Try Now

There are a few factors to consider for late winter pruning to create stunning flowering shrubs in summer. The more technical term for this type of pruning is coppicing, sometimes called stumping, because what you’re left with is essentially a stump of the plant.

The two main options for this type of pruning are a hard prune and a total rejuvenation. The latter is more severe, cutting all of the plant back to inches from the ground. Rejuvenation is best done every few years and on shrubs that have become overgrown.

A slightly less severe hard prune is similar, but allows you to keep more of the existing shrub. You can do this every year. Completely cut out any branches that are diseased, damaged, or dead (also known as the 3 Ds). Cut the rest of the branches back close to the base of the plant, leaving two or three buds on each. This will leave you with a much smaller shrub, but more than just a stump.

Before you start cutting, sanitize your pruning tools with a quick wipe of isopropyl alcohol. You can buy Epic Medical 70% Isopropyl Alcohol from Amazon. Wiping blades before and after use ensures you don’t spread pathogens. Right, without further ado, let’s start snipping…

1. American Beautyberry

For bright, nearly neon color and native credentials, the American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is a special shrub to cultivate. The bright purple color of beautyberry actually comes from the berries, not the flowers. But, to enjoy multiple clusters of the fall berries, you’ll need a good flush of summer flowers so you must prune this shrub before winter ends.

Beautyberry shrubs grow up to 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and wide and are hardy in USDA zones 6-10. They prefer full sun or partial shade and are low-maintenance. You can cut beautyberry shrubs back to about a foot (30 cm) from the ground in late winter, setting the stage for plenty of summer flowers that transform into showy berries later. Use a strong set of shears, and loppers on branches over an inch in thickness. You can buy the highly rated Fiskars PowerGear 32-Inch Bypass Loppers from Amazon.

For the most dramatic berry display, aim for a staggered cut where some stems are slightly shorter than others. This creates a fuller, more tiered look rather than a flat-topped crew cut when the foliage returns.

2. Annabelle Hydrangea

For spectacularly large summer flowers, hydrangeas rate highly. And for voluminous impact, it’s hard to beat ‘Annabelle’ which is a variety of smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’). Other types of hydrangeas have different pruning times, based on how they flower. But smooth hydrangea varieties flower on new growth, so you can cut back old growth in late winter to stimulate new growth and more stunning blooms.

You can give your ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea a pretty severe cut every couple of years. Cut all stems most of the way to the ground. In alternate years, remove damaged or weak stems. Annabelle is a large shrub, growing up to six feet (1.8 m) wide. It’s hardy in zones 3-8, it can tolerate some shade, and it needs regular watering throughout the growing season.

While hard pruning is popular, avoid cutting all the way to the soil every year. Leaving 18–24 inches (45-61 cm) of old, woody framework helps support the massive flower heads, preventing them from flopping over after a summer rainstorm. Always aim for precision cuts. For that surgical edge that won’t damage your precious hydrangea stems, the highly rated Okatsune 103 Bypass Pruners from Amazon are satisfyingly efficient.

3. Smoke Bush (aka Smoke Tree)

Smoke bush (or smoke tree) is aptly named for the delicate texture of its flower clusters, which make the shrub appear as if it’s surrounded by clouds of smoke. Smoke bush (Cotinus coggygria) is a popular choice for flowers, but also its foliage, which can often be purple. All varieties have spectacular fall color. They are hardy in zones 4-9, can grow as tall as 15 feet (4.6 m), and thrive in full sun.

Smoke bush is better suited to a hard pruning than a total rejuvenation, unless it has become overgrown. If you are pruning your smoke bush specifically for those smoky flowers, be gentler. However, if you want massive, oversized purple leaves, go for the stumping method. This coppicing results in foliage that can be double the size of unpruned leaves, though you may sacrifice some of the airy blooms.

In this case, prune back about two-thirds of the stems, leaving the rest. For the tallest branches, don’t struggle – grab an extendable tree pruner like the Fiskars XtendControl Tree Pruner from Amazon, a smart high-reach option for oversized plants (and it comes with a free saw). You can also prune your smoke bush to grow like a small tree. Find a strong, central, and upright branch and prune away lower stems. Continue this yearly.

Support Shrubs After a Hard Prune

Even when you time it right and follow good practices for hard pruning, this type of cut can be a little stressful for a plant. Good aftercare is essential for keeping your shrub healthy and promoting new growth that will give you plenty of flowers later.

Water your stumpy shrub regularly until you start getting consistent spring rains. The soil should be moist but not waterlogged. Apply a good mulch around the shrub if you don’t already have some in place. Try well rotted aged manure or wood chips, or add Brut Organic Aspen Mulch from Amazon for an organic option. Make the layer 2-4 (5-10 cm) inches thick, leaving a space around the trunk to avoid bark rot.

If you expect a late freeze or frost, cover the pruned shrub with burlap, like Burloptuous High Density Burlap Jute from Amazon, to prevent cold damage and insulate the roots. This is especially important if the cold snap comes after the shrub has started to develop tender new growth.

Once you see some new growth, start fertilizing your shrub. Choose a fertilizer suitable for the particular plant, but generally, stay away from high-nitrogen products. These will promote fast but weak growth and foliage over flowers. A great slow-release option for shrubs is Arber Granular Fertilizer from Amazon.

Hard pruning these and other summer bloomers is a February chore that will bring big rewards later. Just be sure to know what’s best for the specific shrubs you have. Don’t prune your spring bloomers now. Wait to do those after they’ve flowered.

Shop Tough Love Essentials

When you need to make smooth, clean cuts, you need the right tools. To get the job done without tearing the bark, always work with sharp, professional-grade steel. Here are some of the best-in-class options:

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