), each year there's a big decision to make: to cut or not to cut. Cutting it back sharply – not just light pruning but whacking it off about a foot high, a technique known as stooling -- controls its ...

A. Hardy to Zones 4 to 5, neither the species nor cultivated varieties of smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria) actually needs to be cut back. They are winter-hardy shrubs and, unlike perennials, the ...

Most experts recommend that deciduous trees such as birch be pruned when they are totally dormant. All leaves should be off and the weather should be cold. If you wait until spring, you risk the tree ...

Question: I have two gorgeous, big burning bushes in my yard that are really, really in need of trimming. I don’t want to trim before they put on their autumn show, but I need to know when is the best ...

In our yard right now, there are three happy plants. These relatives all have a distinctive color of a very dark green hue. And, as the branches lengthen, a purple color sets into the sky. They are ...

Home gardeners can prune away damaged plant stems and diseased branches at any time of year, but giving certain plants a significant trim in summer isn’t always the best choice. Although some plants ...