Pruning a plant at the wrong time might remove potential flowers or invite disease.
Otherwise, pruning can cause more damage than the cutting is worth.
Pruning triggers plants to produce new growth.
Credit:Con Poulos
Ample moisture is needed to fully form new leaves and stems.
Drought-stressed plants usually direct all available moisture to essential plant needs.
Pruning during drought diverts water from essential plant needs and often results in overall plant dieback.
Credit:Marty Baldwin
Wait to prune until the plant is fully hydrated, even if that time is the following growing season.
Cutting back evergreensin winter makes them more susceptible to winter damage.
Cold winter winds regularly dry evergreen foliage.
An open pruning wound causes evergreen plants to lose even more valuable water.
Wait to prune evergreens until early spring.
When trees and shrubs are going dormant.
Plant scientists contend that fall is the worst time to prune trees and shrubs.
Woody plants are slowing growth and readying themselves to survive winter.
Pruning stimulates growth, effectively reversing theplants dormancy preparations.
Wait to prune woody trees and shrubs until late winter or early spring.
Water spreads many diseases.
Wait to prune until the plant foliage is completely dry.
Wait to prune until after the trees and shrubs flower.
Woody plants in early winter.
Pruning woody plants in early winter poses two challenges to plant health.
First, pruning can spur growth.
Dormant plants are growing so slowly that pruning wounds remain open much longer than usual.
Open wounds are portals for pests and diseases to enter the plant.
Wait to prune trees and shrubs until late winter or early spring.
When certain plant diseases are present.
Fall is the best time to prune elms; elm bark beetles do not fly in autumn.
Dont prune oak trees in spring or summer when sap-feeding beetles actively spread oak wilt disease.
Wait to prune oaks in late winter.
When sap is flowing.
Avoid pruning plants that produce large quantities of sap in late winter and spring.
Wait until late summer to prune trees with large sap flows such as birch, elm, and maple.
Remove dead, damaged, and diseased material right away.
Cut away the 3 Ds as soon as you see them.
Dead, damaged, and diseased stems are entryways into the plant for pests and diseases.
Prevent plant problems by regularly scanning for and removing compromised stems and branches.
Respect the one-third rule.
When pruning,never remove more than one-thirdof the plants mass.
Removing more than one-third of the foliage or stems greatly limits the plants ability to sustain itself.
If massive pruning is needed, spread the project over three years.
Painting or seal pruning cuts do more damage than good.
