Can You Hard Prune Barberry

Choose a healthy plant, cut it hard in spring so its bud:wood ratio is high, and new shoots may each grow several feet in their first year. Wait until summer to chop it back or cut it only by half so it must start anew with a great deal of leafless wood, and the comeback will be less vigorous.

How much can you cut back barberry bushes?

You can do it just about any time, but I would avoid late summer, as any new growth won’t have time to harden off before winter frosts descend. For all shrubs, the recommendation is not to cut them back by more than 1/3 every year–this is good practice to follow.

Can I prune barberry in summer?

Both deciduous and evergreen varieties should be pruned in the summer. Barberry shrubs bloom on woody growth produced in the previous season. It is best to prune as soon as the flowers are done in late summer or early fall.