For example, if you live somewhere that starts to get warm around February or March, then you may need to prune early. If it doesn’t start to get warm until June in your area, then you may not need to prune until later.
Avoid waiting to prune for more than a few days after the flowers appear because this may damage the ninebark and the plant will start growing and expanding, which will create more work for you.
Do not prune ninebark past the middle of summer because the ninebark will be entering its dormant phase and pruning at this time may damage it.
Don’t cut the branches down to stubs. Remove them completely. The leaves on dead stems and branches will be dry and crunchy or nonexistent. Branches that are sick or dead may have flaky bark that looks different from the bark on the rest of the shrub.
For example, if you find an area of the shrub where the branches are rubbing together, remove a few of the branches so that they are not rubbing together anymore. You may also notice that some areas of the ninebark are so full of foliage that no light can get through to the interior of the plant. This may be the case even if the branches are spaced out. Thin out these areas by cutting out some of the stems and their connecting leaves.
Pruning shears work well for pruning shoots.
Pruning shears. Pruning shears are best for cutting through branches that are up to 0. 75 in (1. 9 cm) in diameter. Loppers. Loppers, or lopping shears, work well for cutting through branches that are up to 1. 5 inches (3. 8 cm) in diameter. Hand saw. You may need a hand saw to remove branches greater than 1 in (2. 5 cm) in diameter. Some hand saws are even strong enough to cut through branches as thick as 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter. For anything thicker, use a chainsaw.
You can even cut the entire shrub nearly down to the ground if it is out of control.
For example, you could prune the ninebark into a pyramid-type shape with a rounded top.
