Everything you Need to Know about Winter Pruning – A Helpful Winter Pruning Guide

Understanding the right techniques for winter pruning for your garden is essential. You need to make sure that you have the proper tools, the right timing, and how to prune properly. Whether you do it yourself or invest in winter pruning services, this guide aims to help you gain confidence on what to do when it’s time to start winter pruning and maintain a healthy yard. So, read this helpful guide on winter pruning for your garden to set you up for success this winter.

Preparing for Winter Pruning

When it comes to winter pruning, timing is key. The best time for winter pruning for deciduous plants iis usually between early November – late February. This is because they are dormant during this period. For evergreens, it is best to do winter pruning between mid-December – February. A safe rule of thumb to follow is anytime the plants look dormant and before any buds begin to swell in early spring.
It is also important to have your proper tools ready for winter pruning, like shears. These should be good-quality shears. The types you will probably need to use are pruning shears, lopping shears, hedge shears, and pole saws. It depends on your needs and what kind of winter pruning you are doing. Your tools also need to be clean and free of debris or sap, the cutting edges nice and sharp, and any moving parts well oiled to ensure a smooth operation during pruning.

Winter Pruning for Shrubs and Bushes

There are winter pruning services that provide excellent services when it comes to winter pruning. However, if you are more of a DIY person, there are some key things to know when it comes to pruning shrubs in winter. You need to make sure that you are pruning your shrubs at the optimal period, preferably 6-10 weeks before the average last frost in your area. This is when the shrubs or bushes will be dormant. You should assess the shrub for pruning techniques and see how it looks. Is the shrub healthy? Do you see any dead or damaged branches? If you do, remove the diseased wood by snipping it off at the base or where it meets a larger branch. It would help if you thinned out crowded branches to help improve air circulation and light penetration. If you want to, you can shape the shrub by using pruning shears. This will enhance the shrub’s natural shape and give it a balanced form.

Winter Pruning for Trees

Besides winter pruning for shrubs and bushes, you should also consider winter pruning for trees. Like your bushes, you should examine your tree (or trees) for dead, damaged, or diseased branches. You should cut these branches back to their base, which helps prevent disease entry points. Any areas that are crowded or where the limbs rub against each other should be pruned back as well. You can also shape the tree like you do for your bushes and shrubs, but you can follow a couple of methods for pruning trees. For small branches, you can make a cut at a 45-degree angle just above a bud facing outward to encourage growth in that direction. For large limbs, use a three-cut method. Make an undercut about one-third through the branch, about 18 inches from the trunk, then cut down from the top about an inch further out until the limb falls off; then you can finally remove the stub by cutting a 45-degree angle just outside the branch’s collar ear the trunk.