Late February or early March is often when I will do my
dormant pruning of deciduous trees and shrubs (shade, ornamental, flowering
trees like Red Twig Dogwood, Forsythia, Lilac, Quince, etc.) When I prune, of
course, depends on the weather.
The obvious reasons for dormant pruning:
1)
Because the leaves are gone, it’s easier to see
where to make the proper cuts.
2)
The sap is not flowing so you will lesson
exposure to disease and insects.
3)
It, also, allows you to look at the overall
shape of the plant to determine whether you want to reduce the size of the
plant or maintain its current size/shape.
When you prune a plant you should be looking to prune back branches
that are crossing as well as dead or diseased branches. Always make sure you use the correct tools
and that they are sharp and clean. For
most pruning I carry Felco #2 hand pruners and a Felco pocket saw (which will accommodate
most larger cuts). Sometimes it’s necessary
to use a pole pruner for higher limbs etc.
**Be mindful of overhead wires and other obstacles.
Make sure your cuts are clean and don’t leave jagged bark (jagged
cuts gives easy access to water and insects ).
The pruning that you do at this time can eliminate a lot of headaches
down the road. It is also an opportunity
to look at the beauty and structure of
the plant you don’t normally see during the growing season.
There are a couple of great how-to videos from the University of Maine Extension:
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