Pruning gives your trees and shrubs a healthy and attractive appearance. Whether you want to perform basic or advanced pruning tasks, this step-by-step guide will help you select the right tools and understand how to stay safe while performing pruning tasks for healthy plant growth.
Benefits of Tree Pruning
Tree and shrub pruning is integral to keeping your plants healthy and maintaining your natural landscape. It helps improve the health and vigor of the tree, reduces fire and safety hazards, and improves its overall appearance.
Plant Health
Pruning removes dead wood and damaged branches that could lead to disease or decay. It also opens up new areas of the tree for sunlight and air circulation, which helps prevent moisture buildup and broken tree limbs.
Landscape Maintenance
Pruning trees and shrubs can stimulate flower and fruit growth and trains the plant to grow into its natural shape. Regular pruning gives you more control over the height and width of plants, plant growth patterns, and limb structure.
Pruning removes unsightly branches or other woody growths that may diminish the beauty of your landscape or block views from your home’s windows or porches. Proper pruning can also help keep tall trees from growing too close together and prevent them from becoming overgrown with shrubs or other vegetation underneath them.
Safety
Dead limbs on large trees pose a serious safety hazard during every season. High winds, storms, and other harsh weather can increase the risk of branches breaking over areas with high foot traffic, such as driveways and playgrounds.
Pruning Tools
Pruning trees, shrubs, and other landscape foliage can ensure their long-term health and is easy to do if you have the right tools. We recommend keeping your tools clean and sharp for the health and safety of your trees and yourself.
- Pruning shears: Prune shrubs, vines, flowers, and foliage on trees with hand-held pruning shears, which can cut up to ¾ inch in diameter.
Zenport, 1" Classic Pruner
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Zenport Forged 7" Bypass Pruner #6
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Felco, #2 Pruner
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- Bypass pruners are the most popular type and feature two curved blades (one sharp, the other dull) that work like scissor blades. Use these for shrubs, roses, and small tree branches.
- Anvil pruners have one straight blade and work like a knife where the blade splits through the wood onto a flat piece of metal called an anvil. Use these for pruning woody branches and stems and dead wood.
- Ratchet pruners work like anvil pruners but feature a mechanism that lets you cut in stages. They offer better leverage, making it easier on your hands and wrist.
- Loppers: They work like pruning shears but feature longer handles and thicker blades and are available in ratchet, bypass, and anvil styles. Loppers are ideal for cutting branches up to 2 ½ inches thick, such as fruit and nut trees and vines.
Corona, 26" Bypass Lopper
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Corona, Coupound Bypass Lopper, 32 in.
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Corona, 28" Compound Action Bypass Lopper
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- Pruning saw: For pruning trees, a pruning saw can cut branches larger than 2 inches in diameter. Straight-blade saws are good for green wood and sap, while curved-blade saws are designed for tougher cuts.
Corona Folding Pruning Razor-Tooth Saw, 7 in.
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Corona, Folding Pruning Saw, 10 in.
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Corona Pruning Razor-Tooth Saw, 14 in.
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- Gloves: Prevent cuts, bruising, and insect bites with a heavy-duty pair of gardening gloves. Look for thick and durable leather or spandex gloves and ensure they provide the proper forearm protection.
American Glove, Wonder Grip Thermo Plus Double Layer Latex Coated Protection Gardening Work Gloves, WG-338
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American Glove Premium Grade Leather Driver Glove with Keystone Thumb and Kevlar Sewn, 100
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- Hedge shears: Prune hedges, evergreens, and shrubs, as well as deadhead perennials with headache shears. These tools can cut branches up to 2 ¼ inches thick.
Corona Hedge Shears, 8.25 in.
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Green Thumb Hedge Shears, Straight Serrated 10.5-In. Blades
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- Pole saw: Also known as a pole pruner, this hand-held or electric tool lets you cut dead branches (up to 1 ¼ inch in diameter) in trees with its long handle. Pole saws can reach 8 feet or longer, sometimes removing the need for a ladder.
- Electric chainsaw: After all your pruning is done, you can cut up the wood into smaller pieces using a chainsaw.
- Electric hedge trimmer: Prune hedges and bushes with an electric hedge trimmer. Corded models can provide uninterrupted power if you are near an electrical outlet. We recommend a cordless model for more mobility.
- Electric pruners: These tools feature a rechargeable battery and a trigger under the shear head that lets you control when blades are cut.
- Ladder: Orchard or tripod ladders are your best bet for trimming trees.
- Safety gear: Prevent injury with safety glasses, gloves, a face shield, a hard hat, protective footwear, hearing protection, and chainsaw chaps, if necessary.
Carhartt Spokane Safety Glasses
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Georgia Boot, Men's Steel Toe Waterproof Lace-To-Toe Work Logger Boot, G8341
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STIHL, Orange Hearing Protector NRR 25/26
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Planning Ahead
Choosing the right tree or shrub is the best way to keep your plants healthy without too much pruning. Before planting, ensure the mature tree size fits your desired location.
Choosing high-quality plants can also prevent problems down the road. Buy trees and shrubs from a reliable source and learn to spot structural issues such as excessive branching before buying and planting the tree.
Spacing trees is another factor to consider. Overcrowding can lead to over-pruning and more time and money spent maintaining the closely-spaced trees,
What to Prune
Since plants can correct growth mistakes naturally, we suggest going easy on the pruning. Avoid over-pruning, which can hurt your plant. Consider what you’re cutting to ensure you aren’t cutting any healthy growth.
In some cases, trees and other natural features can come into contact as they mature. You may need to prune occasionally if the branches are growing too close for comfort near buildings or areas with high foot or vehicle traffic.
Remove any dead, diseased, or broken branches throughout the year as soon as you notice them. Removing dead and diseased branches reduces the risk of spreading disease to the rest of the plant and helps the tree or shrub focus on healthy plant growth.
Pruning can be done on branches that are growing downward or inward or branches that cross each other. Entangled or inward-growing branches can chafe and increase the risk of insect infestation or disease outbreak.
Remove suckers, which are long shoots that grow near the tree base or roots. Prune as close to the source as possible to remove these competing growths. Waterspouts are shoots growing vertically from the primary branches of trees and shrubs.
If you spot multiple leaders, also known as the primary stem of the tree, choose one to be the main leader and remove the other at the branch collar, which is the raised area at the branch’s base.
How Much to Prune
The amount of healthy, green tissue that is pruned depends on the goal of the pruning and how long it’s been since you last pruned. For extreme pruning, you may want to remove a few branches at a time over a period of months or even years.
Generally, young trees can handle up to 50% removal of green tissue mass at one time. Medium-aged trees can take up to 25% removal. Mature trees aren’t as hardy. They can handle up to 10% removal of green tissue mass.
Avoid topping, which is the removal of the top of the main stem of the tree. Topping can destroy the health of the tree and its shape. The process leaves wounds and stubs that will not heal correctly, increasing the risk of decay and disease.
Topping can lead to the production of new, weak sprouts that can become easily damaged by snow, ice, and wind. This creates a higher risk of injury and damage near the tree.
How Trees Respond to Pruning
When you prune a tree, you create a wound. When pruned improperly, the wound can lead to disease but recover completely if appropriately pruned.
Trees recover from pruning through a natural defense mechanism called compartmentalization of decaying trees (CODIT). This process sealed the wound to prevent decay from spreading throughout the tree. The goal is to reduce wounding to speed up the healing process.
How fast the tree can heal the wound depends on the tree’s age, species, and health. Healthier and younger trees can recover quicker than older and unhealthy trees.
Some trees, such as birches, poplars, maples, and crabapples, are not able to seal properly after pruning. Because of this, you should not make pruning cuts larger than 2 inches in diameter.
Other trees, such as elms, hornbeams, lindens, and most oaks, are better able to seal off wounds. Make pruning cuts no larger than 4 inches in diameter.
When to Prune Trees and Shrubs
Dead and broken branches can be removed whenever they appear. The ideal time to prune trees is during the late dormant season (late winter to early spring). Shade trees such as oak and ash can be pruned in the winter. Deciduous fruit trees should be pruned in midwinter.
Avoid pruning trees during late spring and early summer. This is primetime for blooms. Trees cannot heal in time for the blooming season if you prune during this period. If cuts are made early enough, they can heal properly.
Trees with leaves shouldn’t be severely pruned. Leaves are the centers of photosynthesis, which is responsible for using sunlight to create energy for new plant growth.
Generally, fall is not a good time for pruning. During this time, cuts are not quick to heal, increasing the risk of damage from pests or diseases. If possible, wait until the plants are dormant before pruning.
- Hydrangeas: Mos hydrangeas blooming on old wood can be pruned before midsummer. Hydrangeas that bloom on new growth and old wood, the timing of the pruning isn’t as essential.
- Spring-flowering trees and shrubs: Prune these in late spring, right after they are done blooming.
- Summer-blooming trees and shrubs: Prune these in the winter when they are dormant or in early spring before new growth.
- Shrubs without showy blooms: Prune these as needed except in late fall.
- Clipped hedges: To maintain their shape, shear new growth regularly during the early part of the growing season. The top should be narrower than the base to prevent upper branches from shading lower branches. Stop shearing about 6 weeks before the first frost.
- Roses: Old garden roses and tree climbers that bloom annually should be pruned after they are done blooming. Roses that bloom repeatedly should be pruned to maintain their shape and remove damaged canes in the winter.
Further reading: Pruning Roses with Mike Darcy
- Deciduous shade trees: Prune deciduous trees when they are dormant in winter. During this time, you are better able to see its natural branching structure.
- Deciduous fruit trees: These should be pruned in midwinter. The idea is to create a more open structure, allowing more light to hit the tree.
- Broadleaf evergreens: Most broadleaves don’t need much pruning. We recommend pruning in early spring, before their growth spurt.
- Needle-leaf evergreens: Prune these early in the growing season. Do not cut back into wood with no green needles.
- Pines: Prune pines during the candle stage before the new shoots become woody, and the needles have expanded. Prune only a part of the new growth, removing up to half of the growing candle.
- Bush berries: Cut the old stems (older than 3 years) at ground level every winter. Prune about one-third of the old stems to promote new growth.
- Cane berries: Remove two-year-old canes after they are done bearing fruit since the cane dies after. For first-year canes, pinch back the tips when they are about 3-4 feet, causing the cane to branch. Remove the stem tips on everbearing canes in winter and the following summer after they are done bearing fruit.
- Grape vines: Grape vines grow a lot and require serious pruning annually. Prune grapes close to lateral arms during the dormant season.
Further reading: What to Prune and When: A General Pruning Guide
Types of Pruning
Pruning is necessary for tree care, as it encourages new growth and maintains the tree’s health. There are many different types of pruning, each with its own purpose and benefits.
Crown Thinning
Tree crown thinning involves removing the small, weak branches from the top of the trees to open up the canopy and allow more airflow and light to reach the branches below. Crown thinning also reduces the weight of larger limbs, reducing the risk of broken branches during a storm.
Crown Reduction
Tree crown reduction, also known as drop-crotching, is a pruning method that reduces a tree’s height by cutting back a small portion of the tree’s canopy. This can be performed on younger trees to keep them growing without being too top-heavy.
Crown Lifting
Tree crown lifting involves removing lower-hanging branches to promote growth in the higher branches. This type of pruning is typically done in urban environments on trees near walkways or your home and is usually performed on younger trees.
Pollarding and Topiary
These are extreme types of pruning that produce unnatural shapes. Pollarding removes the top and branches of a tree to promote new growth at the top. This helps control the height of the tree. Topiary involves pruning shrubs and trees into animal or geometric shapes.
How to Prune Young Trees and Shrubs
Pruning can help train plants to develop a robust structure. If they’re not correctly pruned or have not been pruned for many years, they may need serious pruning later to eliminate the larger branches, which can deform the tree.
When planting, remove the broken, dead, or diseased branches only and continue the pruning during the dormant season after planting. Pruning young trees should produce a balanced, open structure without inward-growing stems or branches.
Remove crossing branches to prevent rubbing later on. Trim tree branches growing at an angle of 30 degrees or less in relation to the trunk. This means they are too weak and more likely to break in storms.
As young trees develop, remove lower-growing branches after growing about an inch in diameter. Keep them on the tree if they are under an inch in diameter to produce healthier roots and a more robust trunk. Cut the branches back as close to the source as possible without leaving stubs.
Pruning shrubs is less critical than pruning young trees, but you can use similar strategies to develop a solid tree branch structure. Container-grown shrubs do not require as much pruning.
How to Prune Mature Trees and Shrubs
Like pruning young trees, pruning mature trees stimulates the production of new, healthy growths that lead to flowers and fruits. In shrubs that contain multiple stems (forsythia, lilac, viburnum, etc.), you can be more liberal with your pruning. Take out up to a third of the stems to encourage new foliage growth.
When pruning shrubs, remove individual branches to maintain the plant’s natural shape. Hand pruners and loppers can help you remove dead, crowded, or broken branches near the base of the plant. Flowering shrubs should not be sheared with hedge shears.
To cut smaller branches or twigs shorter, cut them back to a side branch or make the cut about ¼ inch above the bud. Prune above the bud facing the outside of the plant to promote new branch growth in that direction.
When pruning large branches, you will need to follow the three-cut method, or in some cases, 4 cuts to prevent tearing the bark. Make a cut on the underside of the branch about 18 inches from the tree trunk. Cut about one-third to half way through the branch. Then, make the second cut about an inch further from the branch and keep cutting until the branch breaks on its own.
Now it’s time to make the final cut, removing the branch from the primary stem. Look for the branch collar. Make the cut on the branch tissue without leaving a stub. You don’t need wound dressing, but if required, use latex instead of oil-based paint.
Safety Tips
Before you prune trees, it is always wise to know some essential safety tips.
- You should be aware of the weather conditions. Ideally, tree pruning works best in dry weather. You need to factor in that any snow or rain can cause a lot of damage to the plants.
- When pruning trees, it becomes difficult to climb on the branches. Ideally, you’ll need a helper to hold the ladder and be aware of dangerous situations.
- Never forget to wear boots that prevent slipping and can provide protection against cuts and other types of injuries.
Muck Boot, Men's Chore Classic Ankle, CCST-CSA
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Danner, Men's Riverside Work Boot, 15341
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Ariat, Ladies 6" Rebar Casey Work Boot, 10033921
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- Maintain sharp and clean tools. Dull tools can tear stems instead of making clean cuts. Clean tools using rubbing alcohol or a specialty cleaning solution to prevent the spread of disease. You may also need to oil your pruners to prevent corrosion.
When to Hire a Professional
Tree pruning can be a tricky job. It requires the correct equipment and experience to get the job done right. If you don’t feel safe or comfortable performing routine or emergency pruning tasks.
When should you hire a professional?
- Your tree is overhanging your home or another structure, such as power lines.
- Storms or other natural causes have recently damaged the tree.
- You aren’t sure what kind of trees you have in your yard.
- The branches that need to be pruned are too big.
A certified arborist understands local pruning laws and assumes all responsibility for the tree pruning service. A professional knows how to remove branches safely and properly to promote healthy tree growth.
Shop Pruning Tools at Wilco Farm Stores
Keep your shrubs and trees adequately maintained with pruning tools from Wilco Farm Stores. We carry many loppers, shears, saws, and other tree-trimming tools. Find the right tools for your landscaping project at Wilco, from hand-held pruners to electric chainsaws.
