You may need specific instructions for specific trees or shrubs but here are some general guidelines to get you started.   Swan River Garden's experts are happy to help you with this.  Call us or stop by with any questions you have.   Whole books are devoted to pruning techniques and it is best to seek expert help if you are unsure of how to proceed.  We will cover some basics here. 

The most important factor to have a good handle on is why you are pruning the plant.  Is it to promote flowers or fruiting? Do you need to control size or shape?  Are you correcting problems with the plant's health or structure?   How and how much you will prune is greatly affected by these basic questions. Understanding the effects basic cuts will have on specific species is also important so being sure what type of plant you are pruning is also critical.   For example, an evergreen can be a juniper, a pine or a spruce to name just a few types.

Be sure to use sharp tools and if you are cleaning up diseased plants, disinfect your blades between cuts by dipping them in a solution of one teaspoon bleach to one gallon of water.   Make cuts close to the trunk and leave only very small stubs.   If you are cutting above buds, cut at an angle so the bud is on the upper, longer side of the cut.   Swan River Gardens recommends using pruning seal for cuts on branches over one inch in diameter.  Be sure to follow the label directions correctly.

The first general rule is to never take more than one third of the overall size of the plant away in one year's pruning.  If a plant needs more the project may have to be stretched out over several seasons.  The exception to this rule is if you are removing waterspouts from fruit trees.  They can all be removed at once without harming the trees.

Look closely at the overall branch structure you are starting with.  Identify what major branches or limbs may need to be taken.  Are any branches crossing or rubbing?  Have any been damaged by weather or animals?    Is any disease present?  Grab hold of large branches you think may have to go and shake them so you can see where and how they fit into the overall shape of the plant. 

Start by taking the largest branches first then proceed down to the smallest last.  Be sure to step back every few minutes and take a look at your work.  Pile your cuttings so you can be sure not to take more than one third of the tree's mass.   Walk around the tree or shrub a few times as you work to make sure you are getting the results you want.

The two basic pruning cuts are heading cuts and thinning cuts.   A heading cut takes only part of a stem and is meant to stimulate growth on the plant.  The growth does not occur at the cut but below it.  How far below it depends on the positioning of the header cut. Think of shearing a hedge to make it thicker by making lots of little heading cuts stimulating lots of growth.  Cutting the leader off a young fruit tree to encourage branch development also uses a heading cut.

A thinning cut involves taking a whole stem and is meant to completely remove or stunt growth.   We use thinning cuts to remove dead or diseased wood.  Removing stems to clear out the center of a plant to allow air and light in is a thinning cut.   We also use thinning cuts to prune fruit trees to encourage increased fruiting.  Taking whole branches forces the tree's energy into fruiting on the remaining limbs.

Pick a nice sunny day before winter ends and take time to check up on your trees and shrubs pruning needs.  If you have any questions about pruning, stop in or give us a call at Swan River Gardens.  Our experts are happy to help.  Then get out there!  Along with making happy plants, think what a sunny day outside with a pleasant chore can do for your winter blahs!