Pruning in Zone 8
 

I am planning to prune some shrubs for shape, mainly removing
crossing branches and some lower limbs:

Camellia sasanqua
crape myrtle 'Natchez'
privet (Ligustrum japonicum)
wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera)
doublefile viburnum 'Shasta'

The weather is great now, and my shears and loppers are sharp.
Is there any reason it's better or worse to prune now or at
another time (say, in winter or spring).

We usually don't have any freezing weather until late December
or January. Spring is more uncertain; it can begin in
February, but new growth gets damaged until mid-March,
depending on the year.


Mike Prager
Beaufort, NC (on the coast in zone 8a)
(Remove spam traps from email address to reply.)

Hi Mike,
The general rule is if it blooms in spring, prune within two weeks of finish of bloom as they will set the bloom buds for next year. If it blooms in late summer through fall, prune in late winter - February.

Here's some sites that should be helpful.

http://www.gardenseeker.com/Pruning%20made%20easy.htm
http://gardening.about.com/cs/msub81/a/aa041399.htm
http://www.ces.uga.edu/pubcd/B961-W.HTML#Technique
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-4.pdf

Newt