Severely pruning Japanese Andromeda

[musiclvr56]

I called a gardening talk show and asked if one needs to rip out an overgrown shrub-I have a Japanese Andromeda. He told me to severely cut it back in the Fall. I just did a quick google search and it seems that this should be done in the spring, not the Fall. My first question is what season and my second question is do you agree that I should hire someone to do this-it is very tall and I have no idea what to do. I know it won't look good for a few years, but that's okay.

Thanks for your advice.

Karen

[microcollie]

I believe the reason to wait for spring would be to not cut all the flower buds off, which have set during the summer. If you're willing to forego blossoms next year, your andromeda should do fine with a pruning before then. I'd be tempted, however, to wait until late winter, just before it's breaking dormancy, so as not to tempt it to try to leaf out now, just to be zapped by frost.

I also wouldn't take more than the standard one third of the bush at a time.

[shadowsmom]

I have one that is a little too happy where it is located. I've cut it back several times, severely, and it always comes back. It fills back up in one season. If you need to trim it back some now do so, and then after it booms in the spring you can trim it again more severely. It will send out new growth where you make your cut, so make sure you cut where you want the new growth to start.

[bullthistle]

Spring/fall whenever however if you must walk by it or sit and look at it all winter I suggest doing it in late winter early spring.

[yama]

Hi
Shurb should be prune late winter, early spring. Many evergreen tree/ shurb are better to prune in spring. ( warm area can be prune in winter)
Next time you prune the shurb, save leave, twig and cook it ,solution can be use as pesticide.. It work very well for sucking insects.
yama
Ps
If you have right size now and don't want to shurb grow too tall /big, prune roots between late fall to late spring. pruning root control size of shurb. Please teach to small chidren that the shurb is ok to touch but very poisness if eat it. That why andromeda was used for as pesticide.