Pruning trees and plants

When is the best time to prune trees?

Summer is the best season to remove dead branches that are visible. Spring-flowering trees and shrubs should be pruned as soon as they finish flowering in the spring.

Trees and shrubs that blossom in the summer and into the fall should be pruned in late winter or early spring, as soon as their annual growth begins. This applies to both your trees and your indoor plants.

Why is pruning important?

Pruning a tree can influence how it grows. A tree’s limbs and branches can be pruned to form a certain layout that is beneficial for the tree’s structural stability. Maintaining the tree’s structure decreases the likelihood of broken limbs and falling branches.

Pruning bushes into shapes?

Tiopary is the practice of shaping your bushes. Topiary is the horticultural discipline of teaching perennial plants to produce and retain clearly defined shapes by cutting the foliage and twigs of trees, shrubs, and subshrubs. When the bush is young, especially before it reaches 2 feet in height, prune it into a basic shape. This may be an oval or square that can subsequently be trimmed into more sophisticated designs, or a cone that can stay a cone or be taught into a spiral.

Can you prune too much?

Although over-pruned trees and shrubs normally do not die if some of the canopy remains, the harm from over-pruning can be substantial. Over pruning may eventually result in branches that are too weak to withstand wind or ice loads, or the plant may simply exhaust itself trying to renew its canopy.

How often should you prune?

Pruning less of the plant but more regularly is by far the best way to improve its overall health. We recommend doing it every other month, or five times a year. This is the ideal time to prune, since it will maintain everything looking and working at its best.

Pruning trees and plants