Shrub pruning and seasonal cleanup in St. Louis

Pruning and cleanup are how a landscape stays the size you planted it. Shrubs that swallow windows, ornamental grasses left standing into May, and beds still full of last year's leaves all make a good yard look neglected.

We trim and prune shrubs, and we do spring and fall cleanups. Spring work often includes cutbacks, bed edging, and a first mulch. Fall work takes leaves off the lawn and cuts back what should not stand all winter.

Timing that matches the plant

Many deciduous trees are best pruned while they are still dormant, often in March, before the buds you want are already swelling. Spring-flowering shrubs such as forsythia, lilac, and azalea should be pruned after they bloom, not before, or you will cut off the flowers.

Ornamental grasses are a late-winter or early-spring cut, not a fall one. Leaving them up protects the crown and looks better in the snow. We cut them back before new growth starts so we are not shearing green tips.

Cleanups

A spring cleanup opens the beds, removes winter damage, edges where the lawn has crept in, and resets mulch. A fall cleanup keeps leaves from matting the lawn and gives you a clear look at what should be pruned or replaced next year.

If you want this on a schedule instead of a one-time call, look at grounds management.

Related services

  • Grounds Management. Ongoing bed care, mulch, pruning, and seasonal cleanup for homes and commercial properties.
  • Lawns. Seeding, sodding, aerating, and fertilizing.
  • Landscape Renovation. Design and installation that replaces tired beds, lawns, and plantings with stock chosen for your property.

From the blog

Questions we hear often

Do you prune trees?

We prune shrubs and we do corrective pruning on trees that are part of a landscape we tend. We do not top trees. Large removals and climbing work may be outside a normal cleanup day.

When should ornamental grasses be cut?

Late winter or early spring, before new shoots get tall. Cutting them in fall leaves the crown more exposed.

Talk with us about pruning and cleanups.

Call (636) 225-3848 or send a note. Consultations are scheduled, and we will confirm the fee when we set the time.

Schedule a consultation