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How do I prune this rhodehedron

I want this to look fuller but I’m looking at all the new growth and have no idea where to make cuts.

Comments for How do I prune this rhodehedron

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May 25, 2020

The risk
by: Jacki Cammidge, Certified Horticulturist

The risk with pruning rhodies is that cutting off the older growth eliminates flowers next year, which would be a shame. What a gorgeous plant!

When the flowers finish, you would pinch or cut back the plant just below the flower. This won't make it bushier immediately, but over the next few years if you do this religiously, it will make the new growth (which emerges from directly below the flower spur) much more compact.

So if you want to completely reshape it, you can make fairly drastic cuts, but keep in mind that you'll be removing the flower buds.

If this isn't a problem, by all means start shaping it by taking older branches off completely, or just cut them back.

Start with the method I outline above, just pinching the flowers off.

This is a sticky business! I tell you this because if you use pruners, they'll get clogged up with the sticky sap, and same with your fingers if you just snap off the aged flowers.

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