I have four of these shrubs in a row and they look ragged and in need of pruning.
Any tips for time and how aggressive these shrubs should be pruned?

Answer #1 · Maple Tree's Answer · Hi David-Without any pruning many of the loropetalums can get woody and scraggly looking in appearance. Most of my loropetalums can grow to 6 or 8 feet but I have no problem keeping them much smaller with proper pruning. Two things to be careful of that can make my loropetalums more leggy looking with not enough dense foliage is too much water and or too little direct sunlight. They like a well drained soil that can be kept moist but never too wet. Once established they are actually very drought resistant. They also do much better and have better leaf coloring and blooming if they get at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. The loropetalums are fast growing and recover from pruning quickly. Every couple of years I do a heavy pruning cutting them back by 1/2 their height and width. Any heavy or rejuvenation pruning should be done in late winter or early spring. Getting the shrubs to fill out nicer with more dense foliage is my main concern those years and not the flowering. Cutting back at that time will reduce the amount of flowering that year. Most of the time I only need to do a light pruning each year to keep them shaped nice and not outgrow the area I have them in. Flowering shrubs like the loropetalum should normally be pruned immediately after blooming. I just now did my pruning after their blooming. Cutting them back by 1/3 their height and width is normally all mine needs. I noted a link below to an article that can help you with how to prune and when to prune your shrubs. Just click on the link to go directly to the article. I also noted a link to a previous question and answer regarding pruning a loropetalum also.

http://www.gardenality.com/Articles/329/How-To-Info/Pruning/How-To-Prune-Shrubs/default.html

http://www.gardenality.com/Questions/1474/Plants/Trees/Will-Loropetalum-Tolerate-And-Survive-Heavy-Hard-Pruning.html

Please ask if you have any other questions.

John)