Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Pruning to Keep Your Plant Healthy
• Method 2 of 3: Trimming to Shape
• Method 3 of 3: Anti-aging pruning
• Caveats
• What do you need

The spindle tree or European euonymus is a flowering deciduous shrub that quickly grows to large sizes. If the shrub is planted in a location where it can grow freely to any size, you only need to do light pruning to keep the plant healthy. But if you want a smaller shrub, you need to shape it and use more radical rejuvenating pruning techniques.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Pruning to Keep Your Plant Healthy

1. 1 Prune in late winter or early spring. If pruning is only done to heal the plant, it should be scheduled for late winter or early spring before new shoots appear.
   • Since the spindle tree is grown primarily for its foliage, don't worry about accidentally cutting off flower buds. But the brightest leaves will grow on new branches, so it is still better to prune the bush before new shoots appear.
   • If you decide to prune the spindle tree just for the health of the plant, you only need to remove the diseased branches from which the disease can spread to the entire plant, as a result of which the bush may die.
   • Even if you decide to prune your shrub to shape it, you need to prune it for health and then take care of shaping it.
2. 2 Remove dead or dying branches. Use a pruning shear to cut off dead and severely damaged branches.
   • Branches are most often damaged by disease, weather, and insects and animals.
   • Cut off diseased branches at the junction with the main trunk. This is the only way to ensure that the disease does not spread.
   • Damaged branches can be cut at the trunk or only the damaged part can be removed. In the latter case, cut off the damaged branch before joining the side, and cut 1/4 inch (6 mm) above the bud.
3. 3 Cut off the branches that interfere with each other. Find branches or branches that are intertwined or rubbing against each other. Use pruning shears to cut these branches.
   • Cut off these branches where they join the trunk.Unsuccessful branches like these tend to grow back in the same direction, so it is best to remove them entirely, not just prune them.

Method 2 of 3: Trimming to Shape

1. 1 Plan for basic pruning in late winter or early spring. If you are pruning a spindle tree to create a shape, you need to plan for two pruning each year. The first should be carried out before new shoots appear, that is, in late spring or early spring.
   • Spindle trees grow lush and vigorous, but you can control their growth by giving the bushes the desired shape. With this type of pruning, the bushes look attractive in season, but do not fill all the available space.
   • When pruning the shrub to create a shape, you should also perform wellness pruning.
2. 2 Decide how you want to shape the shrub. You can trim the shrub to maintain its natural shape or give it a decorative shape.
   • Consider cutting your shrub into a cube, parallelepiped, or ball shape.
   • Another option is to prune only the lower branches, leaving a rounded top. The shrub will then look like a small tree.
   • If you find it difficult to imagine the ideal shape, find a photo or drawing to use as a reference. You can also draw your own sketch to refer to in the process.
3. 3 Cut the branches to fit. Once you have an idea of ​​what a spindle tree should be, use hedge scissors to remove any branches that are out of shape.
   • When shortening a branch or branch, cut 1/4 inch (6 mm) above the branch or side branch.
   • The top of the shrub should be slightly thinner than the bottom, unless you choose to cut the entire bottom half of the shrub. In this case, sunlight will hit all the leaves. With a wide upper part, there will not be enough sun on the lower part, as a result, the bush can get sick.
4. 4 Thin some internal branches. When you give the spindle trees a geometric shape, you also need to thin out the bush by removing some of the inner branches so that the plant gets more air and light.
   • Completely remove the oldest and tallest branches by trimming them at the point where they join the main trunk.
   • If you want to change the direction of growth of the inner branches so that they grow outward and the bush is less dense, use pruning shears to cut these branches to a shoot or bud that points outward of the bush.
5. 5 Prune new shoots later. To create the correct shape, you will need to prune the shrub again in the middle of summer.
   • Spindle trees are usually grown for their fall foliage, so you don't have to worry about accidentally cutting off flower buds during summer pruning.
   • For a more accurate summer pruning time, wait for new shoots to grow to 6-8 inches (15-20 cm).
   • Prune new shoots 2 inches (5 cm) with pruning shears.

Method 3 of 3: Anti-aging pruning

1. 1 Plan early spring pruning. Anti-aging pruning is the hardest. It is also best done in late winter or early spring, as new shoots will form soon after, and the plant will have an easier time recovering.
   • This type of pruning is done if the bush is overgrown or looks unhealthy.
   • A healthy spindle tree can recover quickly after a thorough pruning.
   • You may need to repeat this process every year or every other year until you have removed all the thick, overgrown branches. When only the thinner stems remain, you can grow the shrub to the desired height and adjust it with regular health pruning or trimming to shape.
2. 2 Cut the bush to the ground. Use hedge trimmers to cut branches no more than 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) above the ground.
   • When cutting down the entire bush, make sure you leave a minimum of 1-3 inches (2.5-7.6 cm) above the ground.
   • Make sure the cuts are clean and even so the shrub has a better chance of recovering completely.
3. 3 Feed and water the bush well throughout the season. Since the pruning was thorough, you should pay special attention to the shrub during the first season after pruning. Water the plant regularly and apply suitable fertilizers.
   • Water the shrub once a week during the first days of spring and summer. Water in the morning (before the heat of the day) and make sure the soil under the bush is saturated with water.
   • Fertilize the first time in early spring shortly after pruning the bush, fertilize the second time in late summer or early fall about two months before the first frost. Choose a high nitrogen fertilizer and follow label directions to determine the correct application.

Caveats

• The "dwarf" varieties of the spindle tree can also grow into large shrubs. Dwarfism in this case refers to the size of the outgrowths from the main trunk, and not to the overall size of the plant.
• Wear heavy-duty gardening gloves when pruning to protect your skin and avoid scratching or cutting.
• Remove diseased and dead parts of the bush. Do not leave them lying around as the disease can spread to healthy spindle wood or other plants in your yard. Affected wood should also not be thrown into the compost pit.

What do you need

• Secateurs
• Hedge shears
• Leather Garden Gloves
• garden hose
• Fertilizer