Winter Pruning

I know its winter here in Zone 5, so you may not be thinking of working in the yard or garden. However, late winter is the perfect time for pruning many trees because they are still in their dormant winter stage. For zone 5, late winter is typically around March or April, which is 4 to 6 weeks before the spring thaw starts. Depending on where you live, late winter could be anytime from January to May. Just use your last frost date and count backwards.  

The general rule of thumb is to not prune anything that flowers early in the spring. If you have trees or shrubs that aren’t early spring bloomers, you can prune when they are asleep, or dormant and don’t have any buds. If you prune plants that have their buds, you’ll miss out on spring flowering.

If you don’t catch this optimal pruning time in late winter, the next time to prune will be in summer. For any spring bloomers that cannot be trimmed in late winter, you’ll want to prune just after they finish flowering. Try to avoid fall pruning because it will stimulate new growth, which isn’t good for the plant because it should be preparing for a nice winters nap instead of sending its energy into new growth. Throughout the season, you can always prune diseased, dead, or damaged branches to maintain the health of the tree.

So why prune anyway? Pruning helps maintain the structure of the tree, improve or create the optimal shape, and keeps it healthy. You can prune suckers that shoot up straight from the root base or stems and any overlapping branches that may be rubbing on others. Another reason to prune is to thin out areas that have too many branches to maintain airflow when the leaves are on the tree. When pruning larger branches that could damage the tree when they fall, take the branch down by cutting it back in several smaller sections. Prune what you can safely. If a branch is too big or heavy, consider hiring a professional.

Before pruning, inspect the tree and create a plan. Start by removing dead, damaged and diseased branches or limbs. After those are removed and cleared out of the way, take another look at the tree. Are there overlapping branches? Are there any branches that are growing in the wrong direction or shooting off in an awkward way? Remove these next and then take another look at the tree. Determine which branches need to go to create the shape you are looking for or to thin the tree. Removing the largest branches first, removing them in sections if they are very large. Lastly, remove suckers or smaller twigs and branches to finish shaping.

Pruning can be done with a basic pair of hand pruners, loppers, pole pruner, hand saw, or a pole saw, depending on the size of the branches you are cutting. Select the right tool for the job to not only make it easier on yourself but the tree as well. You want a nice clean cut so that the tree can heal properly. Whichever tool you select, always ensure that it is clean to avoid spreading disease. You can clean tools with a 10% solution of rubbing alcohol, or denatured alcohol. A solution of 4 teaspoons bleach in a quart of water can also be used to disinfect tools by soaking them for a minute in the solution. Keep a clean rag and a container of this bleach solution nearby so that you can clean the blades of your tools periodically between cuts and also before moving on to another tree to prune.

There you have it… something to look forward to in a month or so. I can’t even believe that the end of winter is coming up so quick! Yay! Have fun pruning garden peeps.

Until next time…

Dream Big, Plant Love, and Grow Where You’re Planted

XOXO - Laurie