Pruning my burning bush

Question

It is May 20 tomorrow – my burning bush is fully leafing out. Last year it overtook it’s space – (it was only planted 2 years ago). so, I want to tame it down and keep it at a reasonable height and width. Is it too lat to prune it back for this year? It has totally leafed out.

Answer 1

Burning bush, Euonymus alatus is a tough plant and takes abuse. The best time to prune is during the dormant season and the worst time is late summer and fall when the plant should be getting ready for winter. Dwarf varieties can grow to 10 x 8 feet and compact dwarf ones reach up to 6 feet Ht. I would delay severe pruning for a month; leafing out is taxing and letting the plant have a month of photosynthesis will strengthen the shrub for a severe pruning. Remove a few of the oldest branches to the ground. This will let more light into the lower branches and result in new growth. Simply pruning at the edges will result in dense growth on the periphery that shades the interior and produces little growth on the inside. Unless you have poor soil, I don’t recommend fertilizer. The shrub grows fast enough without it. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/shgen/trimming-overgrown-shrub.htm