Pruning trees or plants

[PantherPaul]

Best rule of thumb

Never prune back azaleas or any flower bushes until after they bloom. You prune them in the fall they won't flower in the spring
Trees or ornamental bushes (butterfly bushes for example) cut them back in the fall


My wife routinely butchers our butterfly bushes in the fall. I mean cut back to almost only 14-20" from ground in the fall. Next late spring they are back and a lot more fuller, heavier blooming. It's amazing how much better they look and how fast they grow after the pruning

[meatpile]

wtf is a butterfly bush.

I've got a pile of yard trash in front of my house that could house a few hundred Katrina refugees.

[DaveW]

I cut back some butterfly bushes yesterday. Second time this summer Ive cut them back. Those things grow out of control.

[PantherPaul]

wtf is a butterfly bush.

I've got a pile of yard trash in front of my house that could house a few hundred Katrina refugees.
I think Butterfly bushes come in three to four colors (lavender, purple, pink and yellow) Here is one

[VA49er]

I think I'd cut that back til it wouldn't grow no more.

[PantherPaul]

I think I'd cut that back til it wouldn't grow no more.

Good luck. Like I said my wife gets a Lizzie Borden look in her eye when she prunes. I'll try to take a picture of the before and after of our butterfly bushes. I have never seen any other plant that grows as fast

[VA49er]

Good luck. Like I said my wife gets a Lizzie Borden look in her eye when she prunes. I'll try to take a picture of the before and after of our butterfly bushes. I have never seen any other plant that grows as fast

You could always dig it up. Maybe burn it.

[builder]

You could always dig it up. Maybe burn it.
grind the stump and use napalm, it'll still come back next spring. And this time, it's pissed off.