| I think you are talking about the little Japanese spirea, which get the pink flowers, stay about 30" tall. If so, you can prune these sharply each spring. I try to cut mine before leaf buds get going to save plant's energy for regrowth. You can still cut them if leaves have started, just remove less stick. I take off about 6 inches, but mine have no leaves when trimmed. If the leaves are bigger than your fingernail, I would only take 3-4 inches off. Take out any dead sticks, thin out the middle area. This lets air move around more easily, preventing problems and dead stick (no leaves) centers in bush. I find my Japanese spireas bloom very well with this program. I also get real good color in the leaves, with bush being quite thick all season. I have the Lime and Gold Mound bushes in two locations for their color. Pruning seems to aid color intensity as well. |
