Ninebarks are very resistant to most diseases that affect plants, and this allows them to grow very easily. It has a low maintenance cost, and this makes it a widely chosen shrub for landscaping. If you grow a Ninebark, you will have to prune it at least twice a year in order for it to be healthy.

While choosing the best techniques that you can use to prune ninebarks, you should also choose the right and proper time of the year to do it for the benefit of the plant.

In this article, you will be shown the proper techniques involved in pruning ninebark; you will also be shown the right time of the year in which you are supposed to prune ninebark.

Step 1 of 3

Pruning Ninebarks

1. Purchase the right tools that you will need to prune it.

The type of tool you are supposed to purchase will be determined by the ninebark’s nature you are pruning. If the ninebark has a huge size, you would need a tool for its stems and shoots and a separate one for the branches. Here are some types of common pruning tools you would like to get.

  • Loopers – popularly known as looping shear, loopers are essential for cutting through branches that are more than 1.5 inches (3.6cm) in diameter.
  • Handsaw – for branches bigger than 2cm in diameter, you would need to purchase a handsaw. A lot of handsaws are strong enough to cut through branches that are more than 4 inches thick. If the branch happens to be thicker than 4 inches, then you might need a chainsaw to cut through it.
  • Pruning shears – this tool can be very efficient when cutting through branches that are more than 2cm in diameter.

2. Wash the tools with disinfectant solutions after using them.

It is important to disinfect your garden tools once you are done using them; this is because reusing them without disinfecting them might spread diseases to healthy plants.

  • The first thing you have to do is rinse the tool very well with clean water.
  • Place drops of the disinfectant in a bucket full of water
  • Place the tool inside the water for some minutes, and then rinse them up with clean water.

3. Prune branches nearly down to the ground.

Branches that you remove near the ground should be cut off; otherwise, they might affect the appearance of the shrubs and even hinder the growth of the ninebark.

  • If the branches are completely out of control, you should cut the entire shrub nearly to the ground.

4. Allow the base of the shrub to be wider than the top.

It is good to allow the bottom of the shrub to get enough lighting because if it doesn’t get enough light, it could cause the ninebark to grow poorly. So you have to allow the bottom of the shrub to be wider than the top of the shrub.

5. Make sure you maintain symmetry while pruning.

For the plant to appear more beautiful and attractive, you have to ensure that you put symmetry in mind while pruning. If you cut a particular part of the shrub, ensure that the opposite angle is in symmetry with it.

6. Make cuts in the branches at a 45-degree angle.

When you are removing or cutting off a branch, ensure to do so at a 45-degree angle. The highest part of the branch should be about 0.60cm, and the lowest part of the branch should be within a connecting branch.

Step 2 of 3

Choosing the Right Time to Prune Ninebark

  • Perform a pruning test in early summer to remove unhealthy or damaged branches. Paying attention to how plants grow and how you can prune them is essential for keeping the plants healthy and in shape. After you have finished pruning it at the start of the season, you will have to perform some maintenance pruning during the early part of the summer.
  • Avoid pruning ninebark when it is past the middle of the summer because that is a dormant period for the plant, and so trying to prune it at that time may be unhealthy for the plants.

2. Choose your region’s growing season when pruning them.

To decide whether the ninebark should be pruned, consider the time when the growing season in your region normally begins. It is normally advisable to prune ninebarks before they grow too much.

  • Some ninebarks grow very well between late winter or early summer.

3. Allow the flowers to appear.

Please do not waste time pruning the ninebark when the flowers appear because it might cause damage to the ninebark.

  • Ninebarks will start flowering at the beginning of the growing season; once they start appearing, you can start pruning.

Step 3 of 3

Identifying Where to Prune Ninebarks

1. Trim back stems and branches in overcrowded areas.

Check properly if the stems and branches of the ninebark are spread out, and if they are not, you should trim back some of them to make them grow healthier and faster.

  • If you notice that some part of the ninebark contains foliage that does not receive light, you have to trim back these areas by cutting out some of its connecting leaves and even stem.

2. Cut out damaged and dead shoots and branches.

Check to see if there are any broken or dead branches on the ninebark while doing maintenance pruning if they are ensured to cut them completely to the ground.

  • Branches that are dead or sick will have their bark different from the bark of the rest of the shrub.
  • Please don’t cut the branches only to the shrub level; ensure you cut them out completely.

3. Remove weak and shaky shoots.

If you find any shoots that look weak or shaky with a few leaves or flowers attached to them, cut them out as fully as you can. You can purchase a pruning spear to make this easier for you.

Wrapping up

Ninebarks are very beautiful when they are used in decorating the environment, but when they are not properly taken care of, it might not be as good as it is supposed to be. If you encounter any problems while pruning your Ninebark, ensure to use the steps in this article to your advantage.

Thank you so much for your time to read this article and if you have questions about please write your comment below and I’ll be happy to write back to you.