They develop into useful sizes for landscape purposes only after many years of culture in the nursery. True dwarf plants are thus much more expensive to buy than their normal counterparts in the garden. The dwarf characteristic of growth may be an indication of poorly formed or functioning root systems or restricted movement of water and nutrients within the plant. Dwarf plants must be given more protection to survive than normal plants. Another approach open to the gardener on a limited budget is to plant more vigorous types of plants and plan to prune them at frequent intervals.
Many gardeners prune their plants at the wrong time of year.
Consult Home and Garden Bulletin No. 165, Pruning ornamental Shrubs and Vines, on how to prune many kinds of garden plants. As a rule, spring flowering shrubs should be pruned immediately following flowering. They can be severely cut back at this time and still permit the development of new shoots prior to winter. Most spring flowering shrubs will flower every year with an annual pruning. Summer flowering shrubs blossom on current season growth.