pruning - when?

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HELP! I need some information, please. Can anyone tell me (with this group, that's a little unnecessay!) when & how to prune the following?: Butterfly bush, crepe myrtle, red-twig dogwood? We have added all three to our yard recently and don't want to botch it. Thanks so much for your input!

-- Nancy (nannyk58@yahoo.com), February 28, 2001

Answers

I am pretty sure they should be cut in the fall after the leaves are dropped. I you cut now, you will be cutting away the flowers that are to bloom soon. I think it's easier to tell the shape of the tree when the leaves are off too. IMHO Rickstir

-- Rick Powell (rpowell@email.ccis.edu), February 28, 2001.

It depends somewhat, I think, on where you are. You might want to check with you local Extension AGent. The important thing with pruning is to do it while the tree is dormant.

-- mary, texas (marylgarcia@aol.com), February 28, 2001.

I prune my dogwood and crepe myrtles after the bloom in the spring. All trees obviously can be cut of dead wood right now, but if you prune off to much now you are pruning flowers. Actually on crepe myrtle if you cut off the flowers after they are spent, it forces them to bloom again, my gardenia's are the same, the heavier you pick the longer the blooming season. Least ways here in east Texas. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), February 28, 2001.

Down here in North Texas where it's the middle of winter but spring is very near, I read in the paper last week that now is the time to prune butterfly bush. I went out and pruned mine back to about 18 inches.

-- Joe (jcole@apha.com), February 28, 2001.

My dad always said there are only 52 days a year when you could not prune...and they all fall on Sunday

-- grant (organicgrange@yahoo.com), February 28, 2001.


I have just pruned my butterfly bush last week. It was 6-7' tall and I cut it down to about 2'. I am in N.W. WA and I need to prune it this much every year. My dau. has one she has not pruned for 2 years, and we are going to need a saw to cut the heavy branches. I prune throughout the year to keep my butterfly busy from hanging too far over the path, and it does not harm it.

-- Duffy (hazelm@tenforward.com), March 06, 2001.

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