Treatment to rejuvenate barberry bushes - Ask Extension
We have had since 2009 some hedges of dwarf barberry bushes. This spring they are looking poorly. Some of it may have been rabbits chewing on them, bu...
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Treatment to rejuvenate barberry bushes #930076
Asked April 29, 2026, 4:46 PM EDT
We have had since 2009 some hedges of dwarf barberry bushes. This spring they are looking poorly. Some of it may have been rabbits chewing on them, but there are also a fair number of dead branches. Obviously we can trim them down and let them grow up again. I am wondering if you would recommend any particular type of fertilizer - what kind, how often, etc. And should we be pruning anything other than the dead branches? AND is there a reason they look so awful this year, when we haven't seen this much dead wood in all the years we've had them. Hopefully you can see their state from the pictures. Thanks.
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
Last winter was a harsher winter than we have had in more than a decade. I lost a 25 year old juniper. Barberry rarely needs fertilizer but a slow release fertilizer like Osmocote would be fine. The dead branches should be removed and only prune lightly for shape. They will need their leaves for photosynthesis to recover. Adequate water during the entire summer and fall will help them survive next winter. Although, I can’t bear to think about winter now.
