As a general rule, you prune summer-flowering shrubs in the spring and spring-flowering shrubs in the summer. But there are several very timely pruning tasks left over for June. Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. This article was co-authored by Lauren Kurtz. 3 Pruning Late Summer/Early Fall Clematis Other Sections. Expert Q&A Tips and Warnings Things You'll Need Related Articles References Article Summary Co-authored by Lauren Kurtz. Trees and Shrubs to Prune in Late Spring/Early Summer After Bloom . X. The commonly accepted recommendation, not to prune in late summer or early fall does not seem to harm the shrubs. Here are some that rise to the top of the list. These need to be pruned soon after their flowers fade in late spring and early summer. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water … Why? Prune … And they require regular pruning and deadheading all season long. But there’s plenty left to do during the growing season, especially with flowering shrubs. References: 1) Photo Source: Steve46814 (Cloud-pruning in Hallyeo Haesang National Park, Geoje city, South Korea) You'll have a couple of weeks grace period, after flowering, to get this pruning done before next seasons buds begin being set. These trees and shrubs set their flower buds the prior fall and adhere to the rule of thumb to hold off on early spring pruning until after their flowers fade. LATE WINTER/EARLY SPRING: Prune summer blooming shrubs by cutting back branches to healthy buds pointing in the direction you want shrubs to grow. Pruning in the mid- to late-summer negatively affects the flowers the following spring. If you prune them in the fall, winter or spring, you'll cut off their flower buds. Shrubs that bloom in spring to early summer, such as lilacs and forsythia, develop flower buds in summer, the year before they bloom. Last Updated: February 26, 2020 Approved. You normally think of winter as the main time for pruning (or at least horticulturists do). Furthermore, most perennial plants need to be cut back entirely either before or after the growing season. Early Summer Pruning. Pruning in late fall or winter certainly works, but late summer or early fall should also work in zone 5. May 29, 2018 - Pruning is a year-round activity. These shrubs also need to be pruned early in the summer so they have time to … The heavy-duty pruning (removal of diseased, damaged, crossing and other problem limbs) is best left for late fall through to early spring, while the leaves are off.