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Wait until after the flowers fade. Trim the foliage back evenly and smoothly to maintain the desired shape and form of the bush and hedge. All Rights Reserved. Growing as wide as tall, maturing at 10'. Perform this type of pruning no more than once every five years. * Viburnum opulus is called Guelder Rose rather than Snowball, but it does belong to the same family, which is why it is included here. When to Prune Viburnum While light pruning can be performed anytime throughout the year, it’s best to leave any major shearing or severe pruning for late winter or early spring. Rinse them well and let them air dry before use. Remove damaged, dead or diseased limbs with lopping shears or hand pruners. Viburnum opulus and Viburnum lantana - if they need pruning at all - can be kept under control, by cutting out 1 in 3 branches at near to ground level. Viburnum opulus - 'Sterile' (Guelder Rose): Flourishing in full sun or part shade, viburnum's will tolerate most soils other than very wet soils, being well suited to chalk soils. European cranberry bushes have an upright form, but larger varieties tend to spread with age. Prune as needed immediately after flowering. Blooms midspring, bearing lace-cap flowers to 4 inches across. Prune the snowball bush in early summer to encourage fresh, new growth. They are used as specimens, in groups and in hedges. Her previous jobs include reporter, photographer and editor for a weekly newspaper. Prune off the flower heads once the individual blossoms fade from pale pink to a dirty, light beige color. While there are over 150 varieties of viburnum, one of the most popular is known as the "snowball bush." Remove water spouts, or suckers, from around the base of the snowball bush as they occur throughout the year. Prevent the appearance of new water spouts by waiting until late summer to prune. You can prune European cranberry bushes immediately after flowering, which will decrease the number of berries, or after the fruit falls from the bush in early winter. How to Trim Lilac, Rose of Sharon and Forsythia Bushes, Missouri Botanical Garden: Viburnum Opulus 'Roseum', Maryland Cooperative Extension: Pruning Ornamental Trees and Shrubs, University of Florida IFAS Extension: Disinfecting Pruning Tools, How to Prune Knockout Roses After Budding. The berries of the species European cranberry bushes are edible, but have a bitter, acidic taste. Plant guelder rose in moist but well-drained soil in full sun to full shade. Producing masses of large long lasting white ‘snowball’ flowers in spring, V. opulus ‘roseum’ is a showy plant and like the species has nice autumn foliage to go with it. Her nearly 20 years of experience in horticulture informs her work, which has appeared in publications such as Mother Earth News. Prune out any diseased, damaged or dead shoots using long-handled loppers or a saw if necessary And finally, thin out crowded shoots and any badly positioned ones that spoil the shrub’s appearance Use hand pruners for limbs up to ½ inch in diameter and lopping shears for larger limbs. Otherwise, pruning viburnum is a chore you tackle at specific times in the life of the plant. Shred and compost healthy green trimmings. Use a clean saw to remove the older branches if the pruning shears are too small. If you prune … Commonly called snowball bush, Viburnum opulus "Roseum" is a deciduous shrub cultivar prized for its round, white flower clusters and spreading growth habit. Signs of disease include cankers, slimy spots in the bark, split wood, or dead or dying leaves. Thin out old and weak limbs by cutting them at ground level with hand pruners or lopping shears. Viburnums are really tough plants. They can be deciduous, evergreen or semi-evergreen, depending on species. Snip off side shoots with a diameter less than 1/4 inch at their point of origin along the lead branches. Prune the snowball bush in early summer to encourage fresh, new growth. The European cranberry bush (Viburnum opulus) is a deciduous multi-stem shrub. If you like pruning, then when the flowers are finished at … Viburnum pruning is not an annual task, unless you’re growing a young plant that you’re pruning to a tree shape. Pruning to shape the viburnum shrub, should be done straight after flowering because these shrubs only flower on old wood. Space the cuts evenly across the width of the viburnum. Eliminate all dead or damaged branches as they appear during the year. It is often used as hedging or specimen plantings and can be formed into tree form by topiary pruning. Once eastablished it will need little or no pruning. Use hedge pruners to shear bushes that are part of a hedge. If so, when? 'Roseum', is probably one of the most common ones. Growing Snowball from stem cuttings To propagate cuttings take softwood cuttings from fully grown snowball trees, do this early in the morning. Use hedging shears to shape plants used in a hedge. Pruning Cranberry Viburnum Should I prune my dwarf cranberrybush viburnum? Wait for the blooming of the guelder-rose to end if you wish to reduce or reshape the shrub. Expect viburnum snowball bushes to blossom in May. The European cranberry bush (Viburnum opulus) is a deciduous multi-stem shrub. For best results grow Viburnum opulus in moist but well-drained soil in full sun to full shade. [1] X Research source Deadheading, or cutting off the flowers, won’t harm viburnum. Destroy diseased and dead trimmings to prevent the spread of infection. Very little pruning is required – simply trim to shape after flowering, taking care not to remove all spent blooms as these turn into beautiful red berries. Attaining tree size at 12' by 12', clusters of tiny white flowers resembling snowballs cover the plant in spring. She currently works as a writer and copy editor. When pruning any evergreen shrub (except old, overgrown shrubs, see below), aim to remove about one-third of older wood in total. Noteworthy Characteristics Viburnum opulus , commonly called European cranberry bush, is a highbush cranberry that is native to Europe, Asia and N. Africa. Melody Lee holds a degree in landscape design, is a Florida Master Gardener, and has more than 30 years of gardening experience. There are over 150 varieties of the ground if it begins to look scraggly or unappealing with age during... At 10 ' 's variety ' soil in full sun to full shade Research source Deadheading, or off! New growth they have how to prune viburnum opulus has appeared in publications such as Mother Earth News bleach and 3 parts water a. Appear during the year natural shape shrubs go by the name snowball?... 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