Pruning older shrubs isn’t really about making them look neat. It’s about helping them feel young and rejuvenated again. Over the years, shrubs get woody, crowded, and a little tired. They often grow thick on the outside while the inside becomes bare and lifeless. The good news is that most older shrubs respond really well when you prune them the right way.

Late winter or very early spring is usually the best time to do this while the shrub is still dormant. You can see the structure clearly, and once spring arrives, the plant quickly pushes out fresh growth. The exception is spring-blooming shrubs like lilac or forsythia. Those should be pruned right after they finish blooming, so you don’t accidentally remove this year’s flowers.

Start by crouching down and looking at the base of the shrub. You’ll usually see a mix of thick, old woody stems and some thinner, newer ones. The oldest stems are often dark, rough, and don’t leaf out very well anymore or maybe even dead. Those are the ones you want to focus on.

Instead of trimming the top like you would a hedge, reach inside the shrub and begin cutting the oldest stems all the way down to the ground. This is called renewal pruning. Removing about a third of those old stems each year opens up the center, lets light and air in, and encourages brand new shoots to grow from the base.

As you work, take out any stems that are dead, broken, rubbing against each other, or growing toward the center. This helps clean up the structure and prevents crowding.

If the shrub is very overgrown and out of control, you can use a more dramatic approach called rejuvenation pruning. In late winter, you cut the whole shrub back to about 6 to 12 inches from the ground. It looks drastic, but many shrubs bounce back with strong, healthy growth. This works well for shrubs like spirea, potentilla, dogwood, and lilac. It’s not a good idea for slow-growing shrubs or most evergreens.

After you’ve removed the old wood and problem stems, you can lightly shape what’s left. Try not to turn it into a tight ball. Shrubs should be a little wider at the bottom than at the top so sunlight can reach all parts of the plant.

One of the most common mistakes with older shrubs is trimming the outside. That creates a thick shell of growth and a dead interior. Pruning from the inside out keeps the shrub healthy and looking good for years.

With a little patience and some thoughtful cuts, an old, overgrown shrub can start looking lively and full again in just a couple of growing seasons.