Prune at the Right Time, in the Right Place
A home gardener's pruning guide: when and how to cut shrubs, roses and fruit trees, and how to keep your pruning tools sharp.
Start here
Most pruning mistakes come down to two things: the wrong month or the wrong cut. Green Snip is a plain guide to getting both right on the shrubs, roses and fruit trees in a home garden, plus keeping your tools sharp enough to do the job cleanly.
Start with the plant in front of you
Shrubs
Spring bloomers get cut right after flowering. Summer bloomers wait until late winter. Hedges get a light trim, not a haircut to bare wood.
Roses
Hard prune when the buds start to swell. Remove dead, damaged and crossing canes first, then shape an open center.
Fruit trees
Most get their main prune while dormant. Thin for light and air, and keep the framework you want for years.
Tools
Sharp bypass blades, clean between plants, oiled after use. A dull blade crushes stems and invites rot.
Not sure which group your shrub belongs to? Read when to prune a flowering shrub.
Three cuts that cover most jobs
- Heading cut. Shorten a stem to just above an outward-facing bud to steer new growth.
- Thinning cut. Remove a whole branch back to its parent or the ground to open up the plant.
- Renewal cut. Take a few of the oldest stems to the base each year so the shrub keeps refreshing itself.
Whatever the plant, start with the three Ds: dead, damaged and diseased wood. That alone often fixes half the problem.
Quick answers
- When should I prune my roses?
- When is the right time to prune a flowering shrub?
- How do I clean and sharpen pruning tools?
Read this next
Your first winter prune on a young fruit tree. A step-by-step walk-through for the cut that shapes the tree for the next decade.
When and how to prune shrubs, roses and fruit trees at home