Pruning and trimming can make or break your landscape — literally. Do it at the wrong time or cut back too hard, and your plants may struggle to bounce back. But with the right timing and techniques, your hedges, shrubs, and trees will stay healthy, clean, and curb appeal ready.
Here’s a helpful guide to trimming and pruning common plants in Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, and surrounding areas — with tips for this time of year and bonus facts most people don’t know!
🍃 1. Rhododendrons
Rhododendrons are beautiful, broadleaf evergreens found all over the Lower Mainland.
✅ When to trim: Light deadheading of old flowers after blooming (late spring/early summer). In late summer, only light shaping — avoid aggressive cuts this time of year.
💡 Bonus tip: Rhododendrons form next year’s buds in late summer, so heavy pruning now will reduce next season’s blooms.
🌿 2. Cherry Laurels (Prunus laurocerasus)
These fast-growing evergreen hedges are popular for privacy screens in strata and residential settings.
✅ When to trim: You can shape them a few times per year. Late summer is great for final shaping before fall rains.
💡 Bonus tip: Use sharp shears for a clean cut — ragged edges turn brown and look messy.
🌲 3. Western Red Cedars (Thuja plicata)
Iconic to the West Coast, cedars are used as privacy hedging or formal borders.
✅ When to trim: Early summer or early fall. Right now is a good time for light shaping only — avoid cutting into brown wood.
💡 Bonus tip: Don’t trim beyond the green growth; cedar won’t regenerate from deadwood like some other plants.
🌳 4. Japanese Maples (Acer palmatum)
A favourite in front yards across Vancouver for their vibrant fall colour.
✅ When to trim: Late summer is safe for light shaping, especially to remove crossing branches. Avoid winter pruning (bleeding sap) or spring (delicate new growth).
💡 Bonus tip: Always use sharp, clean tools — these trees are sensitive and can be damaged easily.
🌼 5. Hydrangeas
You’ll find these blooming in gardens, commercial plantings, and along walkways.
✅ When to trim: Timing depends on the variety, but generally, don’t cut back too early — wait until blooms fade and shape in fall or early spring.
💡 Bonus tip: Many Vancouver gardeners prune too early and lose next year’s blooms. Make sure you know if your hydrangea blooms on old wood or new wood!
🌱 6. Boxwoods (Buxus)
These are compact, formal evergreens that can be shaped into balls, squares, or low hedges.
✅ When to trim: Ideal time is late spring or early fall. You can tidy up lightly in late summer to keep their shape.
💡 Bonus tip: Regular trimming helps maintain their dense form — but don’t shear them too flat or they can go woody inside.
🌲 7. Yews (Taxus)
Yews are hardy and forgiving conifers that handle pruning better than most.
✅ When to trim: Twice a year is best — early summer and early fall. Now is a great time to do a light cleanup.
💡 Bonus tip: Unlike cedars, yews can grow back from old wood — so you can rejuvenate an old hedge if needed.
🚿 Bonus Tips: Watering and Post-Prune Care
💧 Always water deeply after trimming, especially during warm spells
🌿 Add a layer of mulch to help retain moisture and protect roots
🌞 Avoid pruning during a heatwave or drought to reduce stress on the plant
🪻 Don’t fertilize immediately after pruning — give your plant time to recover first
⛔️ Common Trimming Mistakes to Avoid
-
Cutting into dead zones on cedars
-
Over-pruning rhododendrons and hydrangeas at the wrong time
-
Ignoring shaping — especially for front-facing hedges or curbside appeal
-
Thinking all plants bounce back the same (they don’t!)
💡 MYTH BUSTER: Many people believe you can’t do any trimming in late summer — but that’s only partially true. While heavy pruning is best left for spring or early fall, light shaping, cleanups, and deadheading are completely fine (and even encouraged!) for many plants.
Yes, that includes lightly shaping your rhododendrons, boxwoods, laurels, and yews to maintain clean lines and symmetry through the fall season.
📸 Want the cleanest garden on the block?
At Alljobs, we offer precision trimming and pruning services tailored to your property’s unique needs — whether it’s strata, commercial, or residential. Our crews are known for their eye for symmetry, health-conscious cutting, and next-level cleanup.
