How Do You Prune A Very Old Snowball Bush?
With their gnarly branches, musky smell and thick growth, old snowball bushes (Viburnum opulus Roseum) evoke a romantic age. The large, white flowers litter the ground with “snow” when their blossoming ends each season. Gardeners may be nervous about pruning very old snowball bushes, afraid they will do harm. But the snowball of any age can be a very self-reliant bush and needs little special care. Rake out all dead vegetation from beneath the snowball bush. Look carefully at the lowest branches checking them for disease and damage. Cut out any diseased or damaged branches with a lopper or pruning shears. Make clean cuts with sharp tools. Remove 1/3 of the shrub if the old snowball bush is extremely large and rangy. This will encourage new growth from the base of the plant renewing it from the ground up. Repeat this process for three years, cutting a different third of the old growth each year. Do not try to remove all old branches at one time. Prune snowball bush stems if you wish to
