The first priority in any pruning regime is to remove.

Pruning in Winter Although it may be cold and snowy outside, winter is actually the best time of year to prune your deciduous plants. Wait pruning trees and shrubs in winter a relatively mild, sunny day, get out your pruners, and take a critical look at your trees and shrubs.

Pruning changes the form and growth of a plant. Pruning can also be considered preventive maintenance for both insect and disease damage. Many problems may be prevented by pruning correctly during the formative years for a tree or shrub. The late dormant season is the best time for most pruning.

Winter pruning trees and shrubs makes a lot of sense. Since the plants are essentially “sleeping” during dormancy rather than actively growing, they will lose less sap from trimming than they would in summer.

In addition, it’s far easier to notice broken, dead, diseased, or weak limbs that should be removed.

For bigleaf or oakleaf hydrangea, cut stems with old flowers still attached back to fat flower buds.

Winter Pruning Trees and Shrubs. Oct 14, As with spring-flowering shrubs, these trees should not be pruned in winter since you will remove the buds that would otherwise light up your backyard in spring. Instead, prune these trees immediately after they bloom. Other trees cda tree removal cut back in winter include evergreen treegrind.barted Reading Time: 2 mins.

Mar 24, Winter is an ideal time to prune, as the lack of leaves on deciduous trees and shrubs enables you to see what you’re doing more clearly. What’s more, since sap is not as active during the winter, cuts are less likely to ‘bleed’, and the tree or shrub. Evergreen Shrubs. Prune evergreen shrubs, such as juniper and yew, in late March or early April before new growth begins. Light pruning may also be done in mid-summer.

The proper time to prune trees and shrubs in the yard and garden are indicated below.

Avoid pruning evergreen shrubs in the fall. Fall pruned evergreens are more susceptible to winter injury. Deciduous Trees. February through March is generally regarded as the best time to prune most deciduous trees. Jan 29, Why Winter Pruning is Important. Pruning your deciduous and coniferous shrubs in the winter has the following benefits: The pruning cuts are less likely to be affected by insects or disease which are dormant during the winter.

Damaged or diseased branches and the overall structure of the shrub are more visible with no foliage. Winter pruning gives shrubs extra energy and stronger roots which promote regrowth in the spring. Pruning Estimated Reading Time: 3 mins.