How to Prune Smokebush

Sherri shares her method of pruning her smokebush to get more upright growth.
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[@eliev7844]

Omg, that’s looks so drastic! Would’ve been nice to see how it turned out once it grew back

[@AJsGreenThumbLLC]

Nice job. Its hard to prune knowing that you will forfeit this years blooms but its a necessity! Thanks for sharing!

[@GardenGateMagazine]

Yes, thanks. The blooms are so nice but for the appearance and longevity of the shrub, it needs to be done. Thanks for watching.

[@drylandswim]

Damn! That reminded me of boot camp

[@GardenGateMagazine]

Yikes!

[@Stephen-gp8yi]

I bought a young smoke bush but it’s growing to one side I’m waiting for the pot to tip over.any advice please?

[@laurasilvera3766]

Wow, that was a hard prune!!
I live on an area where it doesn’t snow, but we get hard frosts. I’m afraid of pruning my shrubs that way.

[@GardenGateMagazine]

To reassure you, this one came back great this year.

[@Cherryparfait41]

@@GardenGateMagazine
I’d love to see pictures! Did it make it in to any videos that I can watch?

[@kirstenmccluskey8603]

I have a tall 15 foot smoke bush - beautiful, but too close to the house to stay that tall. Should I prune it as short as the one in the video - about a foot off the ground? Also, while I understand it is best to prune in late winter, can it be done at other times in the year (like now, in the summer?)?

[@GardenGateMagazine]

You can prune it in the summer, but it is usually easier to do it when the plant is dormant and you can see what you are working with. Also, smokebush blooms on old wood, so branches that are at least one year old. If you prune the whole bush, you’ll get great foliage but no flowers that year. So try cutting 1/3 to ½ of the branches back each year to maintain a good shape without sacrificing all the flowers. Thanks for watching.

[@kirstenmccluskey8603]

@@GardenGateMagazine Thanks so much for the reply! I really love our smoke bush and didn't want to hurt it by pruning it in the wrong season.

[@J3queenofallcats]

I’m confused- I thought it was a year round plant and that was the point of them as they are pretty all year? Does this lady live somewhere very cold or something? Thanks

[@GardenGateMagazine]

Yes, zone 5

[@lorilandwehr803]

Nice video! How tall & wide will this bush grow after cutting like this?

[@GardenGateMagazine]

They can get get 10-15 ft. tall and wide if you let grow. I won't get that big the first year after a hard prune. Pruning helps keep it contained.

[@rmwolfe]

I have a 17 yr old Smokebush that is about 15' in height. It has full sun and about five different straight tall trunks at this point. Essentially, it is a 15' tall bush. Can it be pruned back to one trunk that will thicken and appear more tree-like?

[@GardenGateMagazine]

We've seen them with one trunk but still very shrub like, low to the ground.. Not sure if you could ever get a long trunk like a tree. Thanks for watching.

[@rbthegardennannyllc4219]

Can this be contained in a container?

[@GardenGateMagazine]

They are not huge trees, so they should work fine, and root pruning them along with regular pruning of the top growth would keep its size under control. Just use the biggest weather-proof container you can find, and make sure your smokebush is hardy to 2 zones colder than your zone to be sure it can winter outdoors in a container or move it to a protected spot in winter (unheated garage or close to a building out of the wind).

[@rbthegardennannyllc4219]

@@GardenGateMagazine thank you so much my friend!

[@lisasantoro882]

do you prune that hard every year? or every other year? thank you.

[@GardenGateMagazine]

Cut to ground as drastic renovation then cut back a third every year to keep it in check.

[@christinemalnati9440]

Does it matter when you do this type of pruning?

[@GardenGateMagazine]

Late winter to early spring is the ideal timeframe..

[@christinemalnati9440]

@@GardenGateMagazine thanks for your quick reply. It’s May 4th but I think I’m going to do it now anyway since I noticed a big branch has a big split in it. Squirrrels, raccoons last year climbed up it many times to get up over the fence.