Expert: Tom Alonzo - 6/21/2008

Question
How should I prune my snoball bushes?  They are getting large and "leggy."  The blooms have died on my lilacs.  Should I cut them off and where? I bought a honeysuckle vine, put root starter on it, planted it, and now the leaves are turning yellow.  Yikes!

Answer
Hi Pat,
Thanx for your questions.  Prune snowball bushes right after they bloom.  You can cut them all the way to the ground but they won't bloom next year.  Or, you can remove all of the dead or dying growth and then trim back the newer growth that looks leggy or unkempt.  You will still reduce the blooming for next year.

You can deadhead (remove the spent blooms) from your lilac if you like.  Just cut the spent blossom off.  

Stop feeding the honeysuckle and soak the ground around it to try to leach the root starter out and then leave it alone.  It may go completely bare and then come back by the end of the summer.  I hope this helps.
Tom