How to Prune Juniper
Put those shears away! Junipers need different pruning techniques than other woody plants. Improper pruning can permanently damage them. The right cuts promote healthy, beautiful branches full of evergreen foliage. Learn how to prune a juniper with seasoned landscaper Jerad Bryant.
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You’ve seen them. Ruined junipers look like trees from Whoville. They’re wonky, weird, and full of bare spots!
Junipers grow differently from most woody perennials. Their new growth emerges from the tips, and they never produce new growth from lower on the stems. If you cut into a bare spot, it’ll remain bare for the juniper’s lifetime.
This doesn’t mean it’s impossible to prune juniper. Proper cuts lead to healthy, vigorous specimens that fill the garden with their lush foliage sprays. Most junipers require little to no pruning, though you can influence their shape if you’d like to.
When to Prune
Prune juniper trees and shrubs anytime during the year, if necessary. Trimming a stem or two won’t harm them. The best times to prune are during the dormant season and when new growth emerges in spring.
If you want to limit the height or width of the juniper, the best time to prune is from late spring through the summer. This will prevent new growth from forming until the next year’s growing season.
What’s the Goal?
How to prune your juniper depends on your pruning goals. Prune to limit size, to remove dead growth, or to maintain a topiary or hedge. Though hedging isn’t recommended, it is possible with routine maintenance and attention.
Remove a Branch
Always remove the three D’s: dead, damaged, and diseased wood. This type of pruning is recommended for all woody species, no matter if they’re evergreen or deciduous. Junipers are no exception.
Use hand pruners to remove branches as big as your finger. Make cuts above the branch collar, where the branch bulge is larger, close to the trunk. Use a swift, single cut to remove the branch.
Larger branches require a saw to cut. Make proper cuts by using the three-step method. Make the first cut away from the branch collar on the underside of the limb. Partially saw through the limb; don’t cut it completely.
Make the second cut completely through the branch, a bit further than the first cut. Then, with the weight of the branch off, make the third cut right outside the branch collar to remove the stump.
Topiary and Hedges
Junipers generally aren’t popular for topiary and hedges because they don’t resprout from their interiors. Hedging can create bare interiors. If some of the outer stems die, they won’t recover.
I’ve seen juniper topiaries and hedges that work, though they require annual maintenance and upkeep. You’ll need to trim them annually as new growth emerges from late winter through early spring. Have a steady hand when trimming the long stems, and don’t cut far into the branches where they lack leaves.
Shearing isn’t desirable, as it produces brown stem tips that take many seasons to recover. It’s better to use selective cuts to maintain a foliage pad or a long hedge.
Informal Hedging
Junipers lend themselves better to informal than formal hedging. Informal, or natural, hedges have random shapes that match those of wild landscapes. They look more natural in the garden than formal hedges.
For an informal hedge, simply prune long branches once they grow too tall or wide. Remove them at their base, and let the other branches fill the space with fresh growth.
This type of pruning works well for living hedges with many plants in a row. Plant them in a zig-zag pattern to further enhance the wild effect of the informal shapes.
Reduce Height
Reducing a juniper’s height is as difficult as maintaining a juniper hedge! These wonky trees and shrubs work best when they’re left to grow as they naturally would. Juniper shrubs are easy to limit, while trees are difficult to control.
If a juniper outgrows its place, it’s best to let it thrive or replace it with a smaller growing variety. Choose a cultivar that stays narrow and manageable, like ‘Spartan.’ Or, go for ‘Shimpaku.’ It’s a dwarf form of the Chinese juniper tree that stays under three feet tall when mature.
You may reduce the height of shrubs by pruning tall branches when they poke out their tops. Remove the stems at their base, or trim them back to a point where leaves are still actively growing.
Avoid cutting into juniper trees. They tend to have a single leading trunk with limbs that grow off it. Leave the trunk intact, and prune the side stems if they need a trim.
Bonsai
Juniper bonsai need special care! They need annual trimming to look their best. As with the larger specimens, avoid cutting past the point where leaves are growing.
Maintain foliage pads not with shearing, but by removing the long shoots. Using small pruning scissors, remove long shoots at their base.
Prune the juniper bonsai annually when new growth emerges. Use metal wires to train the branches into twisted shapes, and prune them to further influence their size and stature.
Key Takeaways
- Remember, don’t prune juniper further than the leaves! Juniper plants will not regrow from bare wood.
- Cultivars rarely require pruning. At planting, choose a variety that stays as tall or small as you’d like it to.
- Juniper hedges and topiaries are challenging to maintain. Consider using species that welcome pruning, like yews or plum yews.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you prune juniper shrubs?
Absolutely, you can! Simply avoid pruning into bare wood without leaves. Cut into areas producing foliage.
Can you prune juniper in summer?
You can prune these woody perennials whenever it’s necessary, like when they have dead or damaged wood. It’s best to do the bulk of your pruning in the dormant season, or when new growth emerges in late winter through early spring.
When is the best time to prune juniper topiary?
Make selective cuts when new growth emerges so you can see where to make your cuts. Avoid shearing the topiary; instead, make selective cuts to keep the shrub within its bounds.
