How to Prune Berry Bushes

Berries add color to your garden as they bloom in the early spring. They are also a great source of food, which can be placed in jars and enjoyed for months into the future. However, they need to be tended properly to make sure that they grow correctly.

Pruning is a very important part of the growing process for all blooming plants, including berry bushes. Keeping the berry bushes pruned properly makes sure that they will continue to produce great-tasting and beautiful looking berries for a long time to come.

Directions:

1. Carve the dead and discolored parts of the bush. This is best done in the parts of the year in between the blooming periods for the bushes, in the fall or early spring of the year. Toss these parts away into compost. It is important to remove the dead parts of the bush so that they will not take away vital nutrients from the living and vibrant parts of the bush.


2. Use your pruning shears to clip the live sections of the wood 12 inches. It is best to cut the branch at a spot a little over the bud. Make sure that the cut to the bush is not a jagged cut and that the cut is clean.


3. For blueberries, it is best to prune them in January because they bloom in the early spring. Make sure that the dead and discolored branches are removed regularly, and that the branches are separated from dying and dead parts so that the plants can grow properly.