Timing Spring Pruning

I forgot to cut down my shrubs before they got buds on them and now they do! Can I still cut them down quite low as long as a few buds on each stem are left?

No problem, there is still time to prune. The buds have been there for months. Shrubs and trees set their foliage and sometimes flower buds the previous season. We tend to notice the smaller buds more in spring as they begin to swell. It is best to prune summer flowering shrubs before the leaves begin to grow but it won’t hurt to prune them after bud break or the plants have leafed out. Avoid pruning trees during leaf expansion as the trunk is more subject to damage. Prune lilacs, forsythia and bridal wreath spirea right after flowering if you want spring blooms and need to control their size.

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