A flaming, or burning, bush is often utilized in landscaping in places where you might want some fall colour. Staying green during the spring and summer months, this simple-looking shrub turns a vibrant crimson in the fall, making certain that everybody stops and takes notice. Because the main season for this plant is in the fall to early winter, pruning must done in the early spring until it places on new growth.
Snip back stems which have grown beyond the shape of the shrub so they are in line with the rest. Slim with pruning snips in a 45-degree angle just above a leaf node. New growth usually forms and grows out from the cut, thus make snips across the sides of the bush carefully, to ensure branches do not grow downward.
Remove dead limbs back to the base of the plant or to where they grow out from the other limb. Snip them off 1/2 inch in the base or other limb, so that you don’t cut or scar the surface.
Cut back the flaming bush to one third of its length to decrease size and also encourage new growth all over. Never cut more than one-third of the length, unless a portion of the limb is dead, or maybe you stop growth of the limb completely.
Thin out your flaming bush to bring in light and air flow. This will encourage more leaves and stalks to develop within the bush. Cut old thick branches to the ground, leaving younger more vibrant ones to take over. Select branches which are evenly spaced so that the bush doesn’t wind up being overly thin in 1 place and thicker in another. You might also thin out a place of the bush that appears overly fragile by selectively removing a branch back to where it intersects with the other, while leaving the rest of the bush untouched.