January and February are great months to prune many of your shrubs and small trees.  Contrary to what you might read, pruning isn’t rocket science.  If you follow a few simple guidelines, you can prune just about anything in your garden.  (Late winter is not the time to prune spring-blooming shrubs like forsythia, rhododendron, or azalea…if you trim them now, you risk cutting off the buds that produce this spring’s flowers.  Wait until late May or June to prune those.)

For Shrubs (lilacs, roses, junipers, yews, etc.)

• Don’t worry too much about where you place your cuts (above a bud, below a bud), because with very few exceptions it doesn’t make all that much difference. 
• Use a sharp saw and sharp pruners or loppers. Cuts should be clean, not ragged.
• Never remove more than one-third of living (green) branches and twigs.
• Prune shrubs from the INSIDE out.  This will mean crawling under the shrub, and this is where good pruning starts. 
• First, remove dead and diseased wood. (This doesn’t count toward the “no more than one-third” rule.)
• Next, remove one or two of the oldest stems. These will usually be the thickest, and you should cut them off at ground level or as near to the main trunk as possible.
• Next, remove any branches that are rubbing together.
• Next, starting about two-thirds up in the interior, start removing branches that point inward to the center of the shrub. Don’t remove so many that you hollow out the center, but your goal should be to thin the center so that air and sunlight can penetrate.
• Now, stand back, take a good look at the plant, then trim the outside branches and twigs to a pleasing shape. 

For Small Trees (crabapples, plums, pears, etc.)

If you have to stand higher than the third step on a ladder to reach a branch, call a professional.

•  Never use a chainsaw to prune a tree.
• Never let anyone “top” a tree, in the hopes of reducing the autumn leaf fall. If the tree is that much of a nuisance, have it taken down.  Topping a tree is slow death; you’ll pay again to have it removed sooner rather than later.
• Make all your cuts, no matter how big or small, flush with the stem. Don’t leave stubs, because these encourage rot, which can spread into the main branches and trunk.
• Use a sharp saw and sharp pruners and loppers; cuts should be clean, not ragged.
• Never remove more than one-third of living (green) branches and twigs.
• Start by removing all dead or obviously diseased wood. This stuff doesn’t count toward the “never more than one-third” rule. 
• Next, remove any slender stems that are growing straight up from a horizontal branch. Remove any that are growing up from around the base of the tree, too. These are called “water sprouts” and they sap the tree’s strength and ruin its shape.
• Next, remove any branches that are rubbing together.
• Next, remove any small branches and twigs that are growing in toward the center of the tree.  Your goal is to create an open crown that allows sunlight and air to flow through.
• Finally, thin out any tangled or overly dense areas; step back and walk around the tree frequently, so that you can see where your cuts should be made.

An old neighbor of mine once told me that, when you prune a fruit tree, a cat should be able to jump from your shoulder straight through the tree, without hitting anything!

These are basic guidelines that should serve you for most pruning jobs around the home.  Grapes, raspberries, blackberries, or some other fruit-bearing shrubs and vines require slightly specialized pruning, and you should check with your local extension agent for free tips on caring for these plants.

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