How to do it right (buckthorn)

Choosing a time wisely - tips for the ideal date

The desired result of pruning a barberry hedge largely determines the choice of date. The following overview gives you the best times to take care of the cut:

• Topiary for a well-groomed appearance: after the flowering period
• Plant pruning for strong branching: immediately after the plants in spring or autumn
• Rejuvenation pruning of an aged hedge: in January / February on a frost-free day

The recommended dates apply to evergreen and deciduous Berberis species alike.

Preparation - tips for a smooth process

The following recommendations aim to protect gardeners and hedge plants at the same time. The long, strong thorns pose a significant risk of injury. The use of unclean cutting tools offers an ideal target for numerous plant diseases.

• Put on thorn-proof gloves with cuffs and protective goggles
• Clean the cutting tool with hot water and disinfect with alcohol
• Sound sharpen

It is extremely annoying to sweep and dispose of clippings under a thorn-reinforced barberry hedge. You can make this work noticeably easier by spreading out foil, old blankets or curtains in advance to catch fallen shoots.

Instructions for cutting - how to cut sourthorn correctly

Barberries make life easy for the gardener because they are extremely easy to cut. Beginners in hedge trimming will appreciate the fact that Berberis branches sprout again from old wood. The following instructions explain the correct pruning for a barberry hedge in a practical way:

• First step: carefully examine the hedge for nesting birds in order to postpone the appointment if necessary
• Thinning out all dead shoots
• Cut inward and balding branches at the base
• Shorten all branches evenly by up to a third
• Ideally, cut each shoot individually just below a leaf knot

The perfect cut aims at a trapezoidal shape. If your barberry hedge gets wider from top to bottom, you've done everything right. This shape guarantees that the sunlight penetrates into all regions of the hedge bushes so that fresh leaves can sprout there.

Radical cut turns back time - tips for the rejuvenation cut

Have you inherited an old, aged barberry hedge or missed the topiary for a few years? Then breathe new life into the bushes with a radical pruning. The Federal Nature Conservation Act prescribes winter as the only permitted time for good reason. Cut back all branches by up to two-thirds. As long as at least one or two sleeping eyes remain on the shoot, the way is free for renewed growth.