Why prune? If you are just planting a small tree or shrub, pruning at planting time may help improve its survival chances. This is a good time to correct minor structural problems a tree may have and remove branches that are broken, rubbing or crossing each other. If you cut some of the smaller branches back to the trunk, this will help direct growth into the terminal leader and larger lateral branches, helping the tree develop a strong foundation. By regularly pruning these young trees, strong branches will develop and reduce the incidence of storm damage. Pruning also helps control the size and shape of the tree. As trees and shrubs mature, they may require removal of dead, diseased, weak or broken branches. This will help the tree or shrub maintain its natural beauty. Pruning for these reasons will help promote plant health and vigor.
When should I prune? Mid-February and March are ideal times to prune many woody trees and shrubs. They are still somewhat dormant and the probability of extremely low temperatures this time of year is much less than in December and January, reducing the potential of pruning induced winter injury. With spring just around the corner, pruning cuts will callus over or heal faster, reducing the risk of insects and diseases entering the tree through these pruning wounds. The best time to prune fruit trees should be during the dormant season (no leaves on the trees). January, February and March are the best time. Pruning may reduce winter hardiness of the trees, so you don’t want to prune in early winter before the coldest weather comes. The longer you can hold off the better. An exception to late winter or early spring pruning are flowering trees or shrubs, such as redbud, crabapple, dogwood or flowering pear. If these are pruned in the dormant season, many of the flower buds are lost. These early spring bloomers should be pruned immediately after they bloom.
What should be pruned? Not all woody plants need pruning every year. A good rule of thumb is, if you can’t think of a good reason to make a pruning cut, don’t do it. Pruning of established trees and shrubs can thin out crowded branches, providing better light penetration and air circulation to create an environment less conducive to attack by insects and diseases. This will also promote vigorous shoot growth. As previously mentioned, it is a good practice to prune out broken, diseased or dead branches. Even for flowering trees, these can be pruned out this winter. For fruit trees, it is important to remove severely shaded branches, because they will be bearing little if any fruit. The height and size of the tree should be controlled as well. This will help reduce limb breakage. For neglected fruit trees, it may be necessary to lower the height of the tree, remove undesirable large branches from the interior of the tree, and prune low hanging branches.
What should I use to prune? There are a number of hand tools available for pruning, depending upon the size of the shrub or tree you are pruning. Pruning or hand shears work excellent for pruning most small shrubs. A lopping shear can be used to cut branches ¾” to 1 ½ ” in diameter, while a pruning saw can be used for branches larger than 1 ½”.
What about topping my trees? This topic has been addressed in the past. While topping may be less expensive and a faster way to clean up trees after a storm, it is not a good idea and maybe more expensive in the long run. Topping hurts the appearance of a tree for several years and increases its vulnerability to disease, insects and storms.
While I have just touched the surface on pruning trees and shrubs, I hope I have provided you with some useful information. For more information about pruning contact the Nemaha County Extension office in Auburn at (402) 274-4755.
