Wigelia pruning question.

I have a Wigelia about 5 feet high. See photo. It used to be a mass of pink but now when it flowers, the blooms are half the quantity. Am I right in assuming a hard prune would invigorate it? If so how hard? I'm always wary about cutting in to woody stems. I tried a light prune removing new growth but it made little difference.

 

Hi , weigela flower on older wood at least one year old . To keep a natural shape you need to go through the shrub removing the very oldest stem cutting back to the ground, they will regrow and will be flowering in a year or two time , the idea is to make it look like it hasn't been pruned . Its recommended to remove about a third of the branches but that depends on what you've got really and how it will affect the shape of the shrub, you'll have to be the judge of that.

If you've trimmed the weigela anytime before June / July you've reduced the amount of flowers you will get this year. They can be trimmed into a ball / other shape just trimmed with a hedge trimmer after its flowered.

It looks like one of the Weigela florida group they do throw out sporadic flowers over months after the first main flush .

 

Thanks Perki. I shall attack it after this years display.