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Pruning young Nannyberry hedge #926545

Asked March 23, 2026, 10:18 AM EDT

To Whom It May Concern: I hope that this message finds you well. I'm writing with a question about when to prune bare root shrubs. In spring 2025 I planted a hedgerow of Nannyberries (Virburnum lentago) purchased as bare-root stock. They were planted as directed by the nursey from which they were purchased. I also followed the planting advice in Jeffrey Whitehead's "The Hedge Book: How to Select, Plant, and Grow a Living Fence." Despite their siting in exceedingly rocky soil, and having been ravaged by Japanese Beetles, I was pleased to find that they all seemed to survive their first winter in the ground. Whitehead advised pruning a newly planted bare-root hedge row by a third (and in the case of suckering shrubs up to a half) at the time of planting. I have also seen other sources make similar recommendations. But I simply did not have the nerve to do this. Whitehead further advises that a newly planted hedge should be pruned by as much as half in midsummer of its second growing season. Looking at my spindly plantings I confess that I still don't have the nerve to prune that heavily. Please see the enclosed photographs to get a sense of the hedge's development and maturity. My ultimate goal is to have a fairly dense hedgerow when the plants reach maturity, though I don't mind a bit of exposed trunk at the base. My question is: when should I prune these Nannyberries, and by how much? Thank you in advance for your assistance! Best, Eric Richtmyer PS: the stakes that you see next to the plants in the photographs are strictly there to help my neighbors' lawn service avoid mowing them down.

Chittenden County Vermont

Expert Response

Hello Eric,

Thanks for contacting the UVM Master Gardener Helpline about the care of your Viburnum lentago ! This is an excellent plant to provide both beauty and offering much for a variety of birds and small mammals.

Often it is necessary and desirable to prune some of the tree / shrub when planting a bare root specimen. The reason is that the roots may suffer damage during planting and not be able to support the entire plant. In addition, removal of the plant growth promotes root development. As you mentioned the pruning guidance you received (1/3 to 1/2 of the growth ) at time of planting does seem a bit much.

I’ve gotten several references regarding Viburnum lentago and the pruning advice really depends upon your end goal for the plants. These plants have an aggressive suckering habit and the degree to which the suckers are left to grow will produce a more dense shrub like appearance. If, however, your goal is a more tree like appearance then suckers should be aggressively removed and some lower branches pruned / trimmed to promote vertical growth.

Here are some docs you may wish to consider.

https://plantfacts.osu.edu/tmi/Plantlist/vi_ntago.html

https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/2583e/

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/viburnum-lentago/

In general :

  • Pruning should be done after flowering since buds for subsequent year are then set. Given the size of your plants, I suspect that there have not been any flowers just yet and likely will not this year.
  • Any broken, diseased or damaged branches should be removed at any time.
  • If tree shape is desired then lower branches should be removed to produce a single trunk.
  • If shrub shape is desired then allow lower branches to grow as appropriate for the desired density

At this stage of growth, assuming the plants are otherwise healthy, my suggestion would be to prune only enough to promote the growth habit that you desire.

Hope that helps.

Steve, UVM Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Replied March 23, 2026, 1:24 PM EDT

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