Structural issues are easily identified in winter as the lack of foliage exposes the bones of deciduous trees and shrubs.
Not all trees and shrubs need to be pruned. If it is flowering well, looks good, isn’t in the way and is doing what it is supposed to do, leave it alone.
The reason to prune plants during the winter is NOT to make them shorter; to make them fit into a space they're too big for. It is a popular misconception that the only reason to cut back trees and shrubs is to tame them into the size and shape we want them to be. But this is not what happens. The reality is, that pruning promotes plant health, flowering and fruiting - it also promotes growth, especially when done in the winter. On the other hand, pruning in summer restricts growth and also discourages suckers and watersprouts.
There’s a few thing to keep in mind before cutting back your trees and shrubs this winter. Here’s a list to follow to make things a tad easier and more doable.
For Pruning 101 click here. For rose pruning, click here.
The reason to prune plants during the winter is NOT to make them shorter; to make them fit into a space they're too big for. It is a popular misconception that the only reason to cut back trees and shrubs is to tame them into the size and shape we want them to be. But this is not what happens. The reality is, that pruning promotes plant health, flowering and fruiting - it also promotes growth, especially when done in the winter. On the other hand, pruning in summer restricts growth and also discourages suckers and watersprouts.
There’s a few thing to keep in mind before cutting back your trees and shrubs this winter. Here’s a list to follow to make things a tad easier and more doable.
For Pruning 101 click here. For rose pruning, click here.
Winter Pruning In the garden
A dead stem is removed from the centre of a hydrangea.
The best time to prune most plants is right after they have finished blooming. Do NOT prune any spring flowering plants during the winter, as you will be removing their flowers: forsythia, camellia, rhododendron, azalea, ornamental cherries, magnolias, lilacs, alpine currants, quince, crab apples, kerria, beautybush, bridal wreath spirea, hawthorn, mountain laurel (Kalmia sp.), mock orange
Plants to Prune in Winter
Before being pruned, this doublefile viburnum needs errant branches removed.
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Doublefile viburnum after being pruned.
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- Prune summer and fall flowering plants if needed. Clematis: Group B: midseason flowering clematis, Virginia creeper, Boston ivy and winter flowering jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) once flowers have faded.
- Butterfly bush (Buddleia sp.): Cut back stems to 6 to 18 inches in height. Vary the height of the branches to vary the flowering pattern.
- Wisteria: Prune all side shoots to 2 to 3 buds.
- Grapes: Prune all side shoots to a few buds, click here for details.
- Red & yellow twig dogwoods: Replenish red stems by removing the old, non-red stems at their base.
- Summer and autumn flowering plants: Butterfly bush (Buddleia sp), Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), potentilla, crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica), hydrangeas, oak, linden (Tilia) , ash (Fraxinus).
- Broadleaf Evergreens: Prune holly, boxwood and mahonia in early spring before they put on new growth.
- Conifers (pines, spruce, firs etc.): Very little, if any is needed, just remove errant branches. Don’t cut beyond the green portions of the branches.
- Avoid Bleeders: Don’t prune elms, maples, dogwoods, birches as they will ‘bleed’ sap. They are also more disease prone if they are pruned when dormant. The best time to prune them is in the summer.
- Apple & Pear Trees: Prune now while they are dormant and again in summer prune Cherry, Apricot, Peach, Plum to prevent the spread of disease.
- Heather: Cut back winter heath (Erica carnea) once flowering has ceased. Avoid cutting back into the old, woody growth.
- Ornamental Grasses: Cut back ornamental grasses to the ground to make way for new growth.
- Prune late clematis, group 3, such as C. ‘Jackmanii’, 'Kardynal Wyszynski', and C. viticella now. Group 3 clematis bloom from summer to late autumn on the current year’s stems. Cut back to a pair of strong buds about 20cm (8”) above the ground before they start into active growth. This keeps plants compact and flowers appear lower down.
An apple tree before pruning.
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The same apple tree after pruning.
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Don't Prune these Plants in Winter
Don't prune roses that flower only once a year during the winter, such as this rambler.
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It's best not to prune elm trees, like this American elm, (Ulmus americana).
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It's best to wait until summer to prune Japanese maples.
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Avoid pruning ornamental Japanese cherries in winter to reduce bacterial blight. Pruning is best done in summer.
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- Trees that bleed: refrain from pruning trees that are disease prone and ones that produce copious amounts of sap when cut in the winter: Japanese ornamental cherry trees, Japanese maples and birches. They are best pruned during the summer.
- Elms: Elms (Ulmus spp.) are prone to the insiduous elm killing disease, Dutch elm disease, which is spread by the notorious elm bark beetles. This beetle infects elms from April 1 to August 31 as it feeds and breeds within the tree. Do not prune elms during that time.
- Roses that bloom only once a year. Pruning them now will remove their flowers for the year: ramblers, damask, moss roses. A good rule to follow is to prune roses right after they finish flowering.
What to Remove
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- dead, dying and diseased plant parts
- broken branches
- suckers and watersprouts
- suckers: non-branching shoots that grow vertically upright from the tree base and roots and below the bud union (on grafted plants such as hybrid tea roses)
- watersprouts: straight non-branching shoots that grow vertically along branches
- spindly and weak stems
- stems that cross and ones that rub
- branches in the way of pedestrians, vehicles etc.,
- overly long branches that distract from the shape of the plant
- old branches that no longer flower and/or produce fruit
- branches that grow towards the center of the plant
- stubs: remnants of branches that were removed improperly
- branches that are attached to the trunk at a narrow angle – 45 degrees or less
Remove dead branches as soon as possible, any time of year.
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Remove crossing and rubbing branches.
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Waterprouts grow bolt upright along branches and should be removed.
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Cut branches off at their base at the branch ridge or at a side branch. Don't leave stubs.
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Remove suckers that grow below the graft of hybrid tea roses and other grafted plants.
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Move away the soil and cut suckers off where they are attached to the roots.
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What to do
Select the right tool for the job to reduce your labour, to be more efficient and to reduce injury to the plant and yourself.
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A sharp pruning saw makes it much easier to cut off a large branch.
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- Purchase and use the right tools for the job. It makes the job easier and safer. To learn more click here.
- Disinfect pruning tools after each plant, especially if plants are infested or infected.
- Always remove dead, diseased and broken branches any time of year.
- Know the natural shape of the plant before pruning.
- Before pruning, decide what you want to achieve and identify branches you want to remove or shorten.
- Stop occasionally and assess your work. It’s easy to get carried away.
- Prune to shape plants by removing branches that are too long etc.
- Prune to promote flowers on apples and other fruit trees as well as grape vines and wisterias.
- Remove suckers and watersprouts.
- Cut back or remove branches that are in the way of pedestrians, house eaves and the roof.
- Remove branches that cross and ones that rub against each other.
- Prune off branches that grow towards the centre of the plant.
- The best time to prune most plants is right after flowering so don’t prune spring flowering plants this time of year unless they really need it. Fruit trees are an exception as they are pruned in winter as well as summer.
This Young's weeping birch has been topped and suckers have taken over, destroying it's graceful weeping form.
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This is what a Young's weeping birch is supposed to look like.
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Where to cut
To shorten this apple stem, cut it back to the flower buds. They are fatter than leaf buds and are held in clusters.
Here are some of the basics of pruning. For a more comprehensive instruction click here to be redirected to Pruning Basics.
- Cut back stems to an outward facing shoot or bud that faces away from the inside of the plant.
- Make cuts at a 45 degree angle slanting downward away from the bud, ¼ inch above an outward facing bud (node) to allow rain to easily drip off the cut.
- Don’t cut the branch flush to the trunk. Look for the branch collar at the base of the branch. It looks like a raised or wrinkled ridge where the trunk and stem meet. Cut branches just outside the branch ridge (collar) so the cut will heal properly.
- When cutting back a stem to a bud (node), note the direction a bud is facing as that determines the direction of the new branch. For example, if the bud faces towards the plant, that's where the stem will grow.
- Cut just above buds that point away from the centre of the plant. An open centre is the objective.
- To remove an entire limb of a tree, cut it back to the trunk, just above the branch collar.
- To shorten a limb, cut it off just above a side branch.
- Don’t cut or top the leader (the main stem) on trees with a single trunk. Topping trees kills them or at least disfigures them. The resulting new growth will be suckers, which are not firmly attached to the tree. This makes all topped trees unsafe and a hazard.
- Remove heavy and long branches with the 3 step method (jump cut). This prevents tearing of the bark and makes the pruning of big limbs safer.
- To promote fruiting spurs on apples, pears, plums and nectarines, cut side shoots back to 2 to 4 nodes (buds).
- For pruning grapes, remove their side shoots to a couple of buds.
When removing a branch, cut just above the branch ridge (collar) so the wound will heal.
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This branch was cut flush to the stem, which removed the branch collar. This is why it didn't heal properly.
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To make more fruiting spurs on apples and other spur bearing plants, cut back side shoots to a few buds.
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To shorten branches, cut them back to just above a side branch.
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Please Don't...
This poor wee weeping Japanese maple has been cut back for no reason and at the wrong time of year. It will never be the same again, if it recovers.
- prune plants if they don’t need it
- prune spruce, pine and other conifers: just remove errant branches
- prune flowering ornamental cherry trees and Japanese maples during the winter, wait until late spring or summer
- remove or cut back all the branches from a tree (duh!)
- cut off a tree’s leader (the main trunk) prune spring flowering plants in winter as it removes their flowers
- remove more than ¼ of growth at one time
- remove well-formed healthy stems unless necessary
- prune when it is raining and when plants are wet
- leave a stub by cutting a branch in the middle
- remove all the lower branches of a tree, especially evergreens (conifer) as they become top-heavy and unsafe
- apply pruning paint or anything else to cut stems
This conifer was minding its own business and looking pretty good until someone thought otherwise.
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There was no need to top this conifer. Snow will accumulate on the flattened top, followed by errant growth. It's been decapitated and the neighbouring trees are probably wondering if they are next.
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If you think this looks dangerous, you would be right. It is so top heavy it might topple in heavy winds.
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This tree was topped and suckers took over. It doesn't just look silly, it's dangerous.
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Suckers often grow from stubs and must be removed, along with the stub.
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Tree topping: I have no idea why anyone would think this is the right thing to do.
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This Japanese maple tree has been converted into an unsightly shrub. It's days are numbered as the remaining trunk is decaying.
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A Japanese maple tree that's been left to do its own thing.
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Safety
- Always wear gloves to save your hands and to secure your grip.
- As you remove branches, place them away from your work area to avoid tripping.
- Place debris on tarpaulins away to drag to the next plant and for easy disposal.
- Use sharp clean pruning tools appropriate for the job.
- Avoid climbing trees and shrubs; use a ladder or hire a professional.
- Avoid pruning plants when they are wet as tools easily slip.
- Don’t remove large limbs without using the 3 step method.
- Don’t cut down large trees by yourself. Hire a professional.
Wear gloves as they protect the hands from blisters and thorns. They also give you a solid grip.
Tree too Tall?
This towering horse chestnut will not fall down as it's roots spread far and wide and ever so deeply.
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Don't be worried about a tree becoming too tall and falling over. Nature is too smart for that. Tree roots grow to at least the size of the tree's canopy. In fact, roots reach out far beyond the canopy especially if there is room for the roots to spread out. When you prune off the top, the roots also die back in proportion to what was removed. So if your worried that your tree is too tall, cutting the top off is going to make an otherwise safe tree - unsafe.
If it a tree is interfering with any overhead structures such as power lines, then cut back the offending branches to a side branch or removed the entire limb. Don't behead it! Cutting back or removing all a tree's branches encourages even more growth. The tree needs foliage to make food, so it pumps out suckers to replace the lost stems and leaves. Suckers originate from the dormant buds from under the bark, not from the tree's core. They are easily broken off, especially in high winds and as they get longer. Suckers are not branches. Pruning is to maintain health of trees and shrubs and should not be used to continuously reduce the size of a plant. If constant pruning is necessary, consider removing the plant and replacing with a plant of smaller stature keeping in mind its width and height at maturity. Select the right size of plant for the space. |
The natural shape of branches is a beautiful thing.