"martin" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm in zone 4. Semishade spot, good soil. BUT my bearberry plants are
scrawny. Dead in the middle, lots of long branches extending out. I'd
like the plants to be more compact, alive in the middle, nicer looking.
Shall I prune? Mulch? Give up? Martin


Although it should've been done earlier, you can try cutting them to within
12" of the ground, and pruning judiciously as they grow. Experimentation is
relatively safe with barberry. They're tough to kill. With those thorns,
they're likely to kill you first.