Once an evergreen reaches that point, it can be a real challenge to correct the problem. Before you begin pruning,clean your pruning shearswith isopropyl alcohol to avoid spreading diseases. Wipe down the blades again before moving on to trim a different plant. Credit: Bob Stefko Arborvitae Fast-growing and tolerant of heavy pruning,arborvitaeis best pruned in early spring. New growth will emerge from buds along the pruned branch. Arborvitae can take annual shearing, too....

Keep your cherry tree healthy and producing plenty of fruit with these trimming tips. But to keep your trees producing full crops of cherries each year, annual pruning is in order. Sour cherries are typically used in baking rather than eating fresh due to their tart flavor. Credit:Bob Stefko Self-fertile cultivars like Montmoren produce copious amounts of bright red fruit. Why Prune Cherry Trees? The more light, air flow,and access to pollinators, the more fruit can be produced....

Here’s how to prune a jade plant that’s gotten overgrown or scraggly. Otherwise, your plant can get top-heavy, growing leggy branches that bend and sometimes break. Ideally, you want a jade that is as tall as it is wide. Credit:blue sky in my pocket / Getty Images Prune jade plants once a year to prevent them from being top-heavy and to maintain their shape. Jade plants are in their peak growing season in warm weather and generate new growth quickly....

Learn the best techniques for trimming branches so your lemon tree thrives. Knowing when and how toprune a lemon treecorrectly will help you get the most out of your plant. Though most citrus trees grow slowly and rarely need pruning,lemon trees are unique. Credit:Doug Hetherington Known to grow vigorouslyto the detriment of fruit production in some caseslemon trees benefit from annual pruning. Regularly snipping away unproductive upright shoots along with deadwood keeps the tree in good health and productive....

Plus, pruning helps keep the plant healthy and attractive by removing damaged or diseased leaves. Money trees really are trees, just as the name says, and are members of the chestnut family. Money trees are much shorter when grown indoors as houseplants, reaching 6 to 8 feet in height. Credit:Polina Sergeyeva / Getty Images Keep yourindoor money treehealthy and lush with these simple pruning tips. Make a Plan Before Any Cuts...

These main branches are called scaffold branches, and they form the structure of the tree. The best scaffold branches connect to the trunk at about a 45 to 60-degree angle. Structural pruning in the first few years of a tree’s life is crucial for establishing proper form. Credit:Peter Krumhardt This bang out of “collar cut” promotes faster healing and reduces the risk of infection. Trees pruned in midwinter and then exposed to extreme cold are easily damagedand may even die prematurely....

There are several pruning strategies to keep your azaleas in top form. Use this guide to learnwhen and how to prune azaleas properly. Evergreen Azaleas Evergreen azaleas mostly hail from Asia and are more dense, compact, and lower-growing. Credit:Bob Stefko These shrubs are often wider than they are tall. Most evergreen azaleas flower in early to mid-spring, though some rebloom in summer and fall. If your azaleas have outgrown their space or need serious renewal, a more drastic procedurerejuvenation pruningis called for....

Grab your snips and learn how to prune basil to delay flowering and encourage more flavorful leaves to grow. Cavan Images / Getty Images Harvesting and pruning basil are similar processes but are done for different purposes. However, the leaves start to get a bitter flavor once blooming begins. Credit:Cavan Images / Getty Images Growth of new tender leaves also slows once the plant has flowered. At this point most energy goes to flowering and seed production....

Most citrus trees need a minimal amount of pruning, but they benefit from an annual trim. Keep your citrus trees in tip-top shape with this step-by-step pruning guide. Prune Right After the Harvest The best time to prunea citrus tree is immediately after harvesting the fruit. Credit:Doug Hetherington In most parts of the country, February through April are the best times to prune acitrus tree. That new growth will protect the newly exposed wood from the summer sun....

Use these straightforward tips to trim all your evergreen trees and shrubs. Evergreens are some of the hardest-workingliving elements in your landscape. Caring forevergreen treesand shrubs includes occasional pruning to keep them healthy and looking their best. Credit: Jay Wilde In some cases, you also might need to tame rapid growth that’s crowding walkways or other plants. Pruning evergreens is a little different thantrimming other trees and shrubs. For shrubs, you may need to cut a branch back to ground level....

Learn how to prune fig trees to keep them healthier and more productive. Some cultivars such as Chicago Hardy can even survive all the way down to Zone 5. However, figs respond well to heavy amounts of pruning. Credit:Jasenka Arbanas / Getty Images The best time to prune these fruit producing plants is in the winter, while the trees are dormant. Newly plantedfigs should be prunedafter the trees first growing season, before a new flush of spring growth....

To produce strong, healthy grape vines, pruning is key. Get expert advice on everything from how to prep to exactly when to make your cuts. The botanical gift that keeps on giving,grape vines provide you with fresh, delicious fruityear after year. Credit:Johnny Quirin The secret to producing the most plentiful harvests: pruning. Becoming familiar with the anatomy of a vine is the first step. Then, all you need isyour trellis, a cutting tool, and your best gardening judgment....

Make your cuts at the right time to enjoy the most flowers from these hard-working shrubs. (For example, you wouldnt prune a Snowball hydrangea and Endless Summer hydrangea at the same time.) Another good reason to prune is to stimulate regrowth and increase flowering. Credit: Kritsada Panichgul You also want to keep an eye out for leaf spot diseaseprune off infected leaves and destroy them. Heres what you oughta know about how to prune hydrangeas for the best results....