Why prune in late winter? You’re itching to plant, the ground is still frozen and you’re leaving cleanup to avoid disturbing sleeping insects. Alleviate that itch to garden by doing some pruning. During winter when branches are exposed, it’s easier to see where to cut. If you are not confident that you can properly shape your shrub, you can still prune correctly by:
- waiting until late winter (for Zone 6, between Valentines and St. Patrick’s Day). Closer to spring, when shrubs start to break dormancy, cuts heal better. Early winter cuts stay open and the tissue around them can die or get diseased.
- removing dead wood
- removing branches that crisscross and rub together
- removing no more than 1/3 of live branches. If you do know what you’re doing, you will know if the plant can be cut to the ground or should not be pruned at all.
Why Prune?
- remove dead and diseased branches
- keep the shrub healthy by opening up the interior to improve air circulation and prevent disease
- maintain or change a plant’s shape
- reduce the size of a plant if it’s obstructing a walkway, growing up against a structure or crowding other plants
What NOT to prune in late winter:
- Spring flowering shrubs. Pruning these in winter will cut off the branches the flower buds with the branches. To prevent bud loss, prune immediately after they flower. However, in winter it’s easier to see the branches, which is a good time to clear dead, crossing and diseased branches, and open up the interior.
Although not spring bloomers, hydrangea macrophylla, gardenias, damask and moss rose set bloom buds on the previous year’s growth. Winter pruning will remove those buds. - Maple sugaring happens in late winter because that’s when the sap will run. Maples and also dogwoods, birches, walnuts and elms produce sap when they are pruned in late winter. Prune in summer to avoid the mess allow healthier healing.
The best results come from using sharp, clean tools that are suited for the task. Here are some pruning essentials.
There are two categories of pruners and loppers, anvil and bypass. Anvil works like a blade against a cutting board (anvil). They may be necessary to support the pressure of cutting a thick or dry branch, but the anvil part bruises and crushes the branch. Bypass pruners are like scissors, where two blades bypass each other to make the cut. They cause less damage to the branch by bruising but may twist, causing damage that way.
Bypass pruners are suited for branches about the size of your pinkie finger.
Long-handles loppers give you more leverage to cut thicker branches. If you don’t have the raw muscle for one strong cut, there are ratcheting loppers that let you gradually apply pressure.
For even thicker branches than a lopper can get its jaws around, use a saw. When sawing, make a cut at the bottom of the branch first, then saw from the other side to reach the first cut. This creates a cleaner cut by preventing the branch from snapping and peeling off, as your cut reaches the other side.
Keep a jar of rubbing alcohol at hand to sterilize your cutting tools. Pruning is surgery. As you work your way through the garden, you don’t want to be spreading diseases from one plant to the next.
Making the Cut
When removing branches, cut close to the main stem, leaving only the slight bump on the stem where the branch begins. That bump is necessary for complete healing of the cut. Take off the small, weak branches to reduce competition for nutrients and have a clean, open form.
When you cut to shorten a branch, the stem will sprout new branches from each node that you leave. The photo on the right show nodes that have budded. The cut (orange) should be at an angle; the bottom of the cut should be above the yellow line, above the bud.
Make your cut above a node that will branch outward from the shrub. That way, the new branch will not grow inward and cross other branches.
Information is your most important tool. Anyone can post on social media or write an online article. Published books, however are usually only written by renown experts. It’s a huge undertaking and investment to get a book published and publishers will make sure that they only back the best authors.
There are thousands of species and each has specific requirements as to if (some don’t respond well to any pruning at all), when and how to prune. These books cover hundreds of garden species with plenty of photos and illustrations to help you get it right. My go-to book is the one by the American Horticultural Society. They are not cheap, but they are worth the money. Perhaps borrow some from a library to help you decide.
Quality tools ensure a good cut for healthy healing and growth. Made in Switzerland, Felco pruners are the best and last for decades. A $70 investment in a pair is well worth the 20+ years that they will serve you. If a part wears out, replace the part, not the whole pruner. Their classic Felco #2 has been Swiss-made and sold around the world since 1946. They now produce dozens of models. If a brand is any good, they will offer a left-hand model.
A holster is a good add on, so that you don’t leave them on the ground, under a bush.
Other reputable brands are Corona and Fiskars.
