Well-shaped shrubs make a yard look cared for. Hometown Landscape prunes shrubs and hedges across Burtonsville and the surrounding areas.
Shrub Pruning by Hometown Landscape in Burtonsville, MD
Overgrown shrubs can block windows, crowd walkways and hide the plants you paid for. Shrubs cut at the wrong time of year can skip a whole season of flowers. Hometown Landscape prunes shrubs and hedges the right way and at the right time, so your plants stay healthy, full and in proportion with your home.
We have cared for Maryland landscapes since 1997. Our crews prune shrubs at homes, HOA communities and commercial properties in Burtonsville, Silver Spring, Olney, Columbia, Laurel and the rest of Montgomery, Howard and Prince George's counties.
Timing Matters
When you prune matters as much as how you prune. The University of Maryland Extension bases pruning time on how each plant flowers and grows, and we follow the same approach:
- Spring-flowering shrubs like azaleas, forsythia and lilacs are pruned right after they finish blooming. Pruning them in fall or winter cuts off next spring's flowers.
- Summer-flowering shrubs like shrub roses, abelia and rose of Sharon are pruned in late winter or early spring, before new growth starts.
- Hydrangeas depend on the type. Some bloom on last year's wood and some bloom on new wood, so we identify the variety before we cut. UMD's hydrangea pruning guide explains the difference.
- Late summer and fall is the time to hold off on heavy pruning. New growth needs time to harden before winter.
- Dead, broken or diseased branches can come out any time of year.
Hand Pruning or Shearing
Shearing every shrub into a tight ball is fast, but it builds a thick outer shell of leaves that shades out the inside of the plant. Over time the center goes bare. Where it suits the plant, we use hand pruners to make thinning cuts that open up the shrub, let light and air reach the inside, and keep a natural shape. Formal hedges and boxwood borders still get a crisp, even trim when that is the look you want.
Healthier Shrubs, Fewer Problems
Good pruning does more than make a yard look neat. Opening up a dense shrub improves air flow, which helps leaves dry faster after rain. Removing dead and crossing branches takes away places where pests and disease can get started. If we spot signs of a problem such as boxwood blight while we work, we will point it out so you can decide what to do next.
Shrubs, Not Large Trees
Our pruning service covers the shrubs, hedges and small ornamental plants in your landscape beds. For tall shade trees and tree trimming, work with experienced tree experts who have the climbing gear and equipment for the job.
Part of a Complete Landscape Plan
Pruning works best as part of regular care. We can add shrub pruning to your seasonal maintenance, pair it with a spring cleanup or fall cleanup, and finish your beds with fresh mulch. If a shrub is past saving, we can replace it through our garden and plantings service.
Shrubs and Hedges We Prune
- Boxwoods and evergreen hedges, shaped to keep a clean outline
- Flowering shrubs such as azaleas, rhododendrons, forsythia, lilacs, hydrangeas and shrub roses
- Foundation plantings that have grown too close to the house, windows or walkways
- Overgrown or neglected shrubs that need to be thinned and brought back into shape over time
Bringing Overgrown Shrubs Back
For a shrub that has outgrown its spot, University of Maryland Extension describes a fix called renewal pruning. It is done in late winter or early spring, before new growth starts. The weakest stems and the oldest branches come out near the ground, and the younger stems stay. For some overgrown shrubs, like rhododendrons, UMD suggests removing about one stem in three each year, spread over several years. Expect fewer flowers for a season or more while the shrub regrows.
Evergreens are different. UMD says not to cut most evergreen branches back into old wood. Yews, junipers, hemlocks, false-cypress and arborvitae are the exceptions. And since pruning does not stop growth, a shrub that is far too big for its spot may be better replaced than cut back every year.
What Makes a Hedge Last in Maryland
A hedge should be wider at the bottom than at the top so light can reach the lower branches. UMD's example is a 5-foot hedge about 3 and a half to 4 feet wide at the base and about a foot wide at the top. A slightly rounded or pointed top also helps a formal hedge shed snow that could break branches.
Small-leaved plants like boxwood can take shears. Large-leaved shrubs like rhododendrons are cut with hand pruners, because shears cut through big leaves and leave them brown.
Shrub Rules in Our Area
Shrubs in your own beds are yours to prune. Plants in the public right-of-way are different. Montgomery County treats trees along the street as street trees, and planting, pruning or removing them takes county and state permits. Ask before anyone cuts near the curb.
Some popular shrubs are now on Maryland's Prohibited Invasive Plant List, including burning bush, Japanese barberry, nandina and border privet. If an overgrown shrub on that list needs heavy work, replacing it may be the better choice. If you clean up clippings yourself, Montgomery County's yard trim program collects brush at the curb in paper bags, cans with a decal, or bundles.
What Affects the Cost of Shrub Pruning
Every pruning job is priced after we see the yard. These are the things that move the price the most:
- Number and size of shrubs: a few foundation shrubs take less time than a full yard of beds and long hedges.
- How overgrown they are: a yearly shaping is quicker than renewal work on neglected shrubs.
We walk the yard with you, talk through these choices and give you a written estimate before any work starts.
How We Prune Your Shrubs
We look at each shrub, note what it is and how it flowers, and talk through the look you want.
We schedule each plant for the right season so you do not lose a year of blooms.
We make clean cuts with sharp tools, remove dead wood and shape each plant.
We haul away the clippings and leave your beds neat.
Recent Work
Talk to Hometown Landscape
Call 301.490.5577 or request a free estimate for Shrub Pruning in Burtonsville, MD and the surrounding areas. Our experienced local team is ready to help.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should my shrubs be pruned?
UMD Extension says keeping a shrub at a set size or shape may take pruning at least once a year. Formal hedges are trimmed one or more times a year, while an informal hedge may only need its oldest wood thinned out each year.
Can shrubs be pruned in the fall?
For most shrubs, it is best to wait. UMD Extension says not to prune from about August to late October, because new growth will not harden off before winter. When in doubt, it says to prune in early spring.
Why do my boxwoods look thin or brown inside?
Years of shearing can be one cause. UMD Extension says repeated shearing can make boxwood so dense that air cannot move through it, which raises the risk of Volutella blight and Macrophoma leaf spot. Thinning cuts every so often help open the plant back up.
Landscape and Outdoor Living Across the DMV
Hometown Landscape serves homeowners across Montgomery County, Howard County, and the wider Washington, D.C. region with landscape design, hardscape, outdoor living, and outdoor carpentry from our Burtonsville home base.