Tree Pruning Tips for the Winter

Most people like to take a break from gardening during the winter. People often spend their winters just imagining what their yard will look like in the spring season. Sometimes they just don’t know they can do some yard work during the winter.

I never used to do any yard work in the Winter season. (except for stump grinding😉) But then one year I found out you can do some moderate pruning in the Winter, and I will be discussing the kind of tree pruning I do in the Winter.

I would not recommend pruning your trees when it is below 30 degrees outside. If it is that cold outside your tree limbs could shatter when you try to cut into them with your pruners. If it is below freezing, do not prune anything.

Be sure to stand under the tree and find any small branches to cut that don’t receive enough sunlight to be very productive. A branch that is growing near the center of the tree should be cut out. These branches don’t do anything for the tree and are not necessary.

Once you have removed all the small branches near the center of the tree, you can start to shape the outside of the tree. Imagine how you want the tree to be shaped. Cut any branches that seem to be out of the shape you are trying to accomplish. You should cut the tips of shorter branches so they will be forced to fill out to the shape you want.

Trees such as the Flowering Dogwood, Weeping Cherry, or the Flowering Crabapple like to grow branches in many different directions. Cut the branches you want to get the shape you want. Visualize the shape you want to tree to have.

Don’t be afraid to prune your trees. Pruning forces your trees to grow fuller, rather than tall and thin. I used to be scared to prune my Japanese Red Maple, but I one day worked up enough courage to do it. Now, my Japanese Red Maple looks better than ever before!

Remember what you want your tree’s shape to look like. While pruning, if you see a branch that looks like it is growing too far in the wrong direction, cut it. If you make any mistakes while pruning, most trees will just grow back with no problem. So, don’t worry about harming your tree, just go out and prune until you’re happy. You will love the results come the Spring.