Joannas's Garden
Snowball Viburnum Bush
Genus: Viburnum.
Species: Viburnum opulus.
large, bushy deciduous shrub with 3- to 5-lobed leaves turning reddish in autumn. Creamy-white sterile flowers in dense rounded clusters to 6cm in width. No fruit
Pruning Group 8
Tolerates hard renovative pruning
(from http://homeguides.sfgate.com/prune-viburnum-opulus-roseum-50417.html)
1
Measure out 1 part bleach and 3 parts water in a bucket. Soak a pair of sharp, sturdy pruning shears in the solution for approximately five minutes to sanitize them. Rinse them well and let them air dry before use.
2
Prune the snowball bush in early summer to encourage fresh, new growth. Wait until after the flowers fade. Cut back the oldest stems to ground level, as well as any stems with a diameter less than 1/4 inch. Use a clean saw to remove the older branches if the pruning shears are too small.
3
Prune off the flower heads once the individual blossoms fade from pale pink to a dirty, light beige color. Snip the stem off 1/4 inch above a pair of leaves. Discard the pruned flower heads into a compost bin.
4
Thin out the center of the snowball bush to improve air circulation among the branches. Snip off side shoots with a diameter less than 1/4 inch at their point of origin along the lead branches. Make the cuts perpendicular to the branch.
5
Remove water spouts, or suckers, from around the base of the snowball bush as they occur throughout the year. Cut them back to their point of origin. Prevent the appearance of new water spouts by waiting until late summer to prune.
6
Eliminate all dead or damaged branches as they appear during the year. Cut off the branches at the base and discard the pruned branch into a green waste can rather than into a compost heap. Clean your pruning shears carefully afterward to prevent the spread of disease.
7
Cut back the entire snowball bush to within 6 inches of the ground if it begins to look scraggly or unappealing with age. Cut the branches back 1 inch above a fork in the lead branches to preserve the shrub's natural shape. Perform this type of pruning no more than once every five years.
Pests
Aphids and viburnum beetle may be a problem
Diseases
May be affected by a leaf spot
