Shrubs - Yew
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  (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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