Avoid pruning shrubs in winter that will bloom in spring. You'll be cutting off the flower buds that would provide the spring show. The time to prune a spring-flowering shrub is shortly after it has finished blooming, before it forms next year's flower buds.
I always prune in the fall or winter. If you prune in the spring you will stunt the growth during the growing season. If you prune late spring or summer you're risking stressing the plant and increasing the likelihood of heat stress.
A: Yes, you can prune in the summer, but it's not ideal. The best is when the leaves start to fall. If you do it in summer, do it progressively one branch from time to time to not stress the plant too much. Also wait for a cool week, so as not to promote fungal infection. You can prune it 50%.
The 1/3 rule for pruning shrubs refers to the practice of cutting about 1/3 of wood or a branch. This approach is applied to fully established shrubs and small trees. This is done at this stage since the established shrubs and plants are past their transplant shock.
Spring flowering trees should be pruned after flowers have dropped. To avoid the introduction of disease pathogens to oaks and elms, avoid pruning between April 15 and October 15.
Generally, the best time to prune or trim trees and shrubs is during the winter months. From November through March, most trees are dormant which makes it the ideal time for the following reasons: Trees are less susceptible to insects or disease.
Generally, pruning trees in the summer is not recommended. During the summer months, most trees are still very active and growing. Trimming during this time could discourage new growth for the next season. Ideally, the season when you should prune trees is winter, when the tree is dormant.
After “how?", the second most-asked question we get about pruning is “when?” (Or, "Can I prune this now?") The rule of thumb is to prune immediately after bloom for flowering shrubs, in late winter or early spring for non-blooming shrubs (particularly for heavy pruning), and not after mid-August for any shrubs.
Winter is usually the best time.
You can prune shrubs at any time of year if it's necessary—for example, to remove broken branches or dead or diseased wood, or to remove growth that is obstructing a walkway. However, when you prune a leafed-out shrub it's harder to see what you're doing.
Prune shrubs that flower before mid-June after they flower. For these spring-blooming beauties, remove the largest stems, cutting them back to the ground.
Natural Pruning—Understanding plant/tree form
Natural pruning may not be appropriate for shrubs planted and maintained as topiaries, there may not be enough room to "let them loose". Shrubs generally have low branches that arise from multiple locations near the soil.
It's not ideal. Best to trim in late fall and early spring/late winter. Some minor pruning of limbs is ok with most trees but I wouldn't do it during a high heat period.
Similarly, avoid trimming summer flowering shrubs before they have flowered and wait to do so until after they have finished flowering. Non-flowering shrubs can be trimmed at any point in the summer to shape them or to reduce their size, but remember that regrowth will be slow during hot, dry, and stressful conditions.
Don't cut branches flush against the trunk. Open up a plant with thinning cuts. Don't cut more than one-third of the plant's height in any one season. Cut at the proper time of year — usually late winter or early spring, though there are exceptions.
If you don't shave your pubic hair, nothing happens, but it's important to keep it clean with a daily genital-friendly wash and exfoliant to keep odor at bay. If you do choose to shave pubic hair, use a clean, sharp razor, take it slow, and eliminate ingrowns on the bikini line with an exfoliating tonic or pads.
The best time to trim non-flowering deciduous bushes is in late winter or early spring. Avoid trimming deciduous bushes in late summer or fall. You could encourage new growth that can't handle the upcoming frost. If it dies or is damaged, you'll have to cut these new branches off.
Pruning in autumn and winter could potentially damage the plant, as it can unbalance the root to shoot ratio during a period when it is too cold to regrow. The best time to prune is after flowering.
Plants that flower on old wood can be pruned immediately after they finish flowering. If you prune before they flower, you'll remove the flower buds. If you wait too long after they've finished blooming, they may not have enough time to create flower buds for next year.
Summer pruning is an often overlooked task, but if anything, it's just as important as chopping plants back when they are dormant in winter. Cutting back plants in summer has a host of benefits, not least in helping to restrict the size of your plants and stopping them outgrowing their allotted space.
Late spring, early fall, or winter (when the hedges are fully dormant) are the best times for pruning hedges. Don't prune hedges during very hot, dry weather, and prune well before your first frost date. Best time to trim hedges woule be on a cludu day to avoid excessive leaf burn.
Now that we know it's best to leave most shrubs and trees alone in the fall, you may be asking: when can I prune them? The answer depends on when they'll be blooming and when they set their buds. Most summer-flowering shrubs should be pruned in the late winter or early spring before they start developing flower buds.
No Flush Cuts
While it may look clean and streamlined, a flush cut removes the branch collar, an area of tissue that's needed to form a seal over the pruning cut. Because the plant cannot close over the wound, a flush cut leaves an opening for pests and pathogens to enter the plant and damage or kill it.
Pruning is best done when the plant is dormant, before the new growth occurs. If you prune the new growth off, you'll have a stressed plant that will take a few years to bounce back. You probably won't kill it, but it will need time to recover.