# Can I hack my Lilac and Arborvitae plants in the spring without killing them? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 17, 2007, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hack-my-lilac-and-arborvitae-plants-in-the-spring-without-killing-them/400478 "2007-04-17T16:01:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hack-my-lilac-and-arborvitae-plants-in-the-spring-without-killing-them/400478/21 "2007-04-19T17:32:28Z")
[QUOTE=justrob] I didn’t actually trim that much off of it, maye 20-25%. I would actually like to trim it a little bit more but I don’t want to take off too much. Is there a reasonable maximum that I should stay below? [/QUOTE] You can actually cut roses back pretty hard without killing them. The best time to prune is in the spring – specifically, right after it comes out of dormancy, when you can see the little bits of leaf buds and you can tell what’s alive, what’s dead [cut off all dead wood], and what direction things are going to grow in. New branches will develop from the crotch (no, seriously, that’s what it’s called) of the joint between the main stem that you just cut and the leaf bud closest to it. (Look at your left hand. Pretend that your four fingers are the main trunk, and your thumb is the bud. If you cut off the main trunk, the new branch will emerge from the web between your thumb and your hand.) By choosing where to cut, you can influence which direction the new growth will go – basically, outward is better. **Trunk** – I don’t know nothin’ 'bout no bonsai – hopefully someone who does will come along. ---
**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hack-my-lilac-and-arborvitae-plants-in-the-spring-without-killing-them/400478/22 "2007-04-19T20:49:04Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] You can actually cut roses back pretty hard without killing them. The best time to prune is in the spring – specifically, right after it comes out of dormancy, when you can see the little bits of leaf buds and you can tell what’s alive, what’s dead [cut off all dead wood], and what direction things are going to grow in. New branches will develop from the crotch (no, seriously, that’s what it’s called) of the joint between the main stem that you just cut and the leaf bud closest to it. (Look at your left hand. Pretend that your four fingers are the main trunk, and your thumb is the bud. If you cut off the main trunk, the new branch will emerge from the web between your thumb and your hand.) By choosing where to cut, you can influence which direction the new growth will go – basically, outward is better. [/QUOTE] Thanks! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hack-my-lilac-and-arborvitae-plants-in-the-spring-without-killing-them/400478/23 "2007-04-24T12:45:21Z")
Just thought I’d post to thank **Twickster** again for the pruning advice. The roses are now a less overgrown size and are growing like crazy. Thanks, Rob ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hack-my-lilac-and-arborvitae-plants-in-the-spring-without-killing-them/400478/24 "2007-04-24T16:39:57Z")
De nada! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hack-my-lilac-and-arborvitae-plants-in-the-spring-without-killing-them/400478.md?page=1)