When you prune bushes in your landscape, it is important to properly identify the plant prior to giving it a cut.  Everyone has at least one tree or shrub on their property that may require pruning from time to time.  There are many types of bushes and several different ways to prune bushes.  Knowing when to prune and how much to prune can beautify your plant if done correctly.  There are two types of plants, conifers and deciduous.  Conifer trees and plants are generally your evergreens such as pine trees.  The term deciduous refers to plants that leaf out and lose their leaves in the fall. 

When to prune bushes.

There are several reasons to prune bushes, including storm damage, disease, uniformity and over growth.  If you maintain your trees and shrubs on a regular basis, it is not necessary to perform a harsh pruning.  Harsh pruning refers to the process of removing over 1/3 of the plant growth at one time.  This process should be avoided unless it is absolutely necessary.  If you have storm damage that requires harsh pruning, it may be unavoidable to perform pruning without the removal of a substantial portion of the plant.  Depending on the damage, prune only what is necessary to get the plant back to acceptable condition.  Only prune damaged branches and leave the cosmetic pruning to a later date. 

You will have to prune bushes at different times of the year depending on what type of plant species they are.  Early spring bloomers that flower prior to the first of May should be pruned after they flower.  Some examples of spring bloomers include spirea, lilac and viburnum.  Pruning these plants after they are done flowering reduces the damage potential to buds that may be present at a later date.  It is not a good practice to prune your shrubs while they are flowering.  You can dead head or remove stale blooms, but significant pruning should be done at a later date.