Shrubs - Barberry
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  (August) We recently moved into our home that has barberry shrubs in the front all across the porch.  The previous owner told me the shrubs usually lose their leaves once or twice each summer due to grasshoppers or other insects. We have totally lost the leaves immediately upon moving here, I sprayed and the leaves began coming back. Then again the shrubs are bare. Do they have a disease and should I just replace them. I don't like having bare shrubs in front constantly. If so, what can I plant that will give me the red color in front that will be approximately 4 feet high?

  You need to find out what is dining on your shrubs, and then spray to control it. Usually barberries are fairly tough plants, with few to no pest problems. They thrive in the hot sun. They do lose their leaves in the fall each year, since they are deciduous plants, but they should not do so during the growing season. It would be hard to recommend a spray program without knowing the cause. If they are being completely consumed, I would imagine you would be able to find an insect. Check the plants at various times of the day to see if you can spot the culprit. You may even go out at night with a flashlight to catch some pests. I would hesitate to replant in the area, until the problem is solved. However, another possible purple leafed plant is the loropetalum -- which is also evergreen. Be sure to carefully select a variety, since mature height can vary from 4 feet to 15.

  (September) I need advice on how and when to trim/prune the following shrubs in front of my house. The firm that did the planting is out of business. Holly - Japanese, blue & Yaupon, Yew, Emerald Gold Euonymus, Red pygmy Barberry, Blue Pacific juniper, Red tip photenia and liriope. Many of these plants seem 'out of control'. I've trimmed them in years past in late fall, but they grow so fast that it seems to be an annual affair. Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

  Pruning shrubs can be an annual affair if the right plants weren’t planted in the right location, of if you need specific shapes and or sizes. Choosing plants that have a mature size that will fit the foundation of your home, can reduce the pruning chores. In my opinion, late fall is not an ideal time to prune in Arkansas. We have so many fluctuations in temperature during the winter, that I try to get the plants through before pruning. If you just need general shaping, that can be done at any time. If you need to remove more than one third of the plant, you should try to catch the burst of growth in the spring -- late February through mid April should work well. None of the plants mentioned are spring bloomers, so you are not interfering with blooms. Liriope is one plant that should be sheared hard prior to new growth each spring. This purging of old foliage leads to a cleaner and healthier looking plant.

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