Question: How much can I prune shrubs like hollies, photinias, boxwood and waxleaf ligustrums back without killing them?

Answer: Again, that depends on their vigor. Generally, however, you could prune them back by 30 to 40 percent. They’ll look very leggy for a couple of months after you do, however, so time it for very late winter, just before the flush of spring growth. Try not to do this time and time again, or the plants will go downhill fairly quickly.