Can I prune a Weigela in late January – late summer in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Question

I thought that yearly pruning took place in late summer and that early spring should be avoided.

Answer 1

Here is a good, general rule. Prune spring-flowering shrubs like weigela right after they bloom. Summer bloomers can be pruned while dormant or in very early spring. Many spring bloomers flower on buds and wood that formed last summer and fall so pruning in early spring removes blossoms. Of course, if you are willing to have a year with lower blossom count, weigela can be spring-pruned. This makes sense, to me, because it is much easier to see which branches need to be removed before there are leaves on the shrub. For this reason, I sometimes remove an old branch down to the ground or thin a crowded area in late winter. I wait until after bloom to reduce the overall size of the shrub. This compromise works well for my weigela.