Tree & Shrub Care Guide
How to keep shrubs shaped, trees healthy and branches off your roof, with a pruning calendar for Georgia.
Shrubs and small trees give a yard its structure, but they grow fast in Georgia. Left alone for a season or two, hollies cover windows, crepe myrtles get butchered, and branches start scraping the roof.
Good pruning keeps plants healthy and in scale with the house. Each plant should be cut at the right time of year, so flowering shrubs still bloom and trees heal cleanly. When a plant is past saving, a good landscaper will say so and suggest something better suited to the spot.
What it includes
- Shrub and hedge trimming
- Ornamental and small tree pruning
- Crepe myrtle pruning done the right way
- Clearing branches off roofs and siding
- Overgrown shrub renovation
- Shrub and small tree removal
- New tree and shrub planting
- Haul-away of all clippings
How a typical project goes
Assess
Each plant's health and bloom time are checked, and anything diseased or misplaced is pointed out.
Plan the cuts
You hear what's being trimmed, how much and why before work starts.
Prune
Shrubs are shaped and trees pruned with clean cuts that heal well.
Clean up
Clippings are raked, blown and hauled away.
Pruning calendar for Georgia
Late winter, before new growth starts, is the best time for most summer-flowering shrubs and trees, including crepe myrtles and abelia.
Spring bloomers like azaleas, forsythia and loropetalum should be pruned right after they finish flowering. Cut them in fall and you'll lose next year's blooms.
Questions to ask a landscaper
- When will you prune each of my plants, and why then?
- How do you prune crepe myrtles?
- Do you handle large trees, or refer them to an arborist?
- Is cleanup and haul-away included?
Common questions
Who handles large tree removal?
Large trees near houses or power lines should go to a licensed, insured arborist. Many landscapers handle shrubs and small ornamental trees and refer bigger jobs out.
How often should shrubs be trimmed?
Most foundation shrubs look best trimmed two or three times a year. Fast growers like ligustrum and privet may need more.
Is it bad to cut crepe myrtles back hard?
Yes. Topping them every year, often called crepe murder, causes weak, knobby growth. Pruning to keep their natural shape gives stronger branches.
Can overgrown shrubs be saved?
Many can. Hollies, boxwoods and ligustrum often respond well to a hard renewal cut done over one or two seasons.
Know a landscaper doing great work?
We're always looking for local companies to celebrate. Landscapers can reach out to be featured, too.