Spring pruning advice

Tom Day

Hi, I have a callicarpa, and a cotinus to prune. Both are young shrubs and I don't know whether they necessarily need to be pruned, but the callicarpa in particular has many thin and weak sub-stems which cross over each other in awkward directions. Is there a best way to prune these to encourage future structure whilst they are still young?

Tom Day

Thanks very much, Verdun, will do. I have a choisya that has been willfully growing leggy on a few main stems and have tried the pinching technique a few times - doesn't seem to have worked. I know this is a late flowering shrub so would I still be OK to continue pinching out on it for a while longer?