Japanese witch hazel (Hamamelis japonica): when and how to prune

Japanese witch hazel (Hamamelis japonica): when to prune it?

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Witch hazel needs hardly any pruning. If it is necessary, prune lightly straight after flowering, in late March or April.

What else to prune in those months? March · April

Japanese witch hazel (Hamamelis japonica): how to prune it?

1. Remove dead, diseased or crossing branches back to healthy wood.
2. Shorten an overlong branch to just above a side shoot or bud; this keeps the natural shape.
3. Remove rootstock suckers as low down as possible.
4. Cut sprigs for the vase in winter, spread over the whole shrub.

How much to cut, and how often?

• One pruning period a year: March–April.
• Prune in moderation: never remove more than about a third of the shrub at once.

What does it mean for wildlife?

• Pruning in March–April can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
• Japanese witch hazel (Hamamelis japonica) flowers in January–March, when it attracts bees.
• If pruning falls during flowering, wait until it is over or leave part of the plant to flower, so bees and butterflies still benefit.
• Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.

Common mistakes

• Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
• Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.

Nearby: related pruning guides

• Witch hazel
• Chinese witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis)
• Ozark witch hazel (Hamamelis vernalis)
• Alder buckthorn
• Blackberry
• Bluebeard

Plant profile: Japanese witch hazel (Hamamelis japonica) · Pruning calendar and basic rules