Weigela care guide: when & how to prune, fertilize and spray

When: from the last spring frost to 3 weeks after.

• zones 3–5: about May 10–31
• zones 6–7: about Apr 15 – May 6
• zones 8–10: about Feb 25 – Mar 18

Weigela tips often die back in cold winters. Wait until buds break to see what's alive.

1. Cut dead tips back to the first live, green bud.
2. Don't do any other shaping now. It would remove this spring's flowers.

When: 6–9 weeks after the last spring frost.

• zones 3–5: about Jun 21 – Jul 12
• zones 6–7: about May 27 – Jun 17
• zones 8–10: about Apr 8–29

This shrub sets next year's flower buds over the summer. Pruning within a few weeks after the flowers fade gives the most blooms next year. Prune later and you cut off the buds.

1. Wait until the last flowers have faded.
2. Remove dead, damaged and crossing branches first.
3. Renewal-prune: cut one-third of the oldest, thickest stems right down to the ground. Over three years this replaces the whole shrub with vigorous young wood.
4. Shorten overly long stems to an outward-facing bud or side branch to shape the shrub. Avoid shearing it into a ball.

Tools: Bypass pruners, Loppers

When: from 1 week before to 3 weeks after the last spring frost.

• zones 3–5: about May 3–31
• zones 6–7: about Apr 8 – May 6
• zones 8–10: about Feb 18 – Mar 18

A single spring feeding as growth starts covers most shrubs for the year.

1. Scatter fertilizer at the label rate from near the stems out past the drip line, where the feeder roots are.
2. Water it in thoroughly.

What to use: 🌿 Balanced organic granular fertilizer (e.g. Espoma Plant-tone 5-3-3) · Slow-release balanced fertilizer (e.g. Osmocote Smart-Release 14-14-14)

When: 2–6 weeks after the last spring frost.

• zones 3–5: about May 24 – Jun 21
• zones 6–7: about Apr 29 – May 27
• zones 8–10: about Mar 11 – Apr 8

Mulch keeps roots cool and moist, suppresses weeds and slowly feeds the soil. Applying it after the soil warms lets roots wake up first.

1. Spread 2–3 in (5–7 cm) of mulch over the root zone.
2. Keep mulch 2–3 in (5–7 cm) away from stems and trunks. Mulch piled against bark invites rot and rodents.
3. Don't go deeper than 3 in (7 cm) in total. Too much mulch suffocates roots.

What to use: 🌿 Shredded hardwood or pine bark mulch