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rcmartin Hanover, PA(Zone 6a) Sep 26, 2011

I live in zone 6 - when can I trim Barberry bushes?

Post #8824528
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WeeNel Ayrshire Scotland, United Kingdom Sep 26, 2011

It would be helpful if you could say what type of Berberis you have as some require different treatment to others like, the kind used for hedging you cut back / Prune late summer IF no berries, or early spring for this type, you really just have to cut out the old flower / fruiting stems to allow light into the center of the shrubs,
As a general rule all deciduous species are (autumn berries) like the above treatment and can take a shallower soil, all the others are grown as what is called specimen plants as in, shrubs that are planted to give winter colour or summer flowers without a large show of berries.
Not knowing what you have I'd go for the safe treatment and IF you really have to cut back the shrub, then cut the straggly long branches now, give a mulch of leaf mold and remove any damaged or diseased branches, if the shrub has really overgrown it's spot then cut back to about a foot from the ground and give the same mulch as above.
If it's just a tidy up and prevention from being tangled in thorny branches then go for the full cut and next year you can begin to tame the shrub once the new growth starts to harden up.
Even a picture of your shrub would allow a better reply but whatever you decide, you wont kill your shrub, at worse it might take a while to recover but these are tough shrubs that deserve a place for either berries to feed the birds or give colors in winter time and flowers from spring.
Hope this helps you a bit, good luck. WeeNel.

Post #8824880
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LysmachiaMoon Waynesboro, PA(Zone 6a) Oct 01, 2011

Hi I live near you. You can trim barberry anytime. It may look a bit patchy, but it will grow back fast. NOW is an excellent time to do any heavy trimming. If you have the kind that has purple or pinkish-purple leaves, and you trim it during the summer, expect it to be green-leaved for a week or so until the leaves turn purple again.

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