I wonder if there is an ideal time for cutting back junipers. It is my understanding that you can cut them back almost all year round except in spring after the new growth has just appeared. But is there something like an ideal time in the year for cutting back junipers? When and how often do you guys cut your junipers? I know from Michael Hagedorn’s book “Bonsai Heresy” (great book!) that you shouldn’t pinch them but rather cut the shoots back selectively but he mentions no ideal time of the year. I also scouted the library but couldn’t find Ryan talking about this. So what do you think?
I am living in Berlin Germany which is USDA zone 7b if that is relevant for the question.
It really depends on what kind of cutback you are doing. from what I’ve learned is if you are pruning for ramification your best bet is middle of summer, because of the super high amount of UV rays coming in you will get a lot of smaller tighter foliage. If you are in development (first or second styling) and you are looking for either back budding or changing the direction of a branch and sending more energy to a branch that’s moving in the right direction, then late spring into early summer, after the new spring growth has hardened off will give you a bit longer before the late summer dormancy for more growth.
I’m in SE United States 8a/b so I’m getting ready to wire and do light pruning of my developed junipers very soon.
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