Winter is the perfect time to tend to your deciduous trees and shrubs. These plants, which lose their leaves, are easier to prune now that their structure is clearly visible. Pruning during winter dormancy is less stressful, allowing the plant to store energy for strong spring blooms and fruit production. Winter pruning is crucial for the health and longevity of deciduous shade trees and many spring-blooming shrubs.
Key Pruning Techniques
- Make Selective Cuts: Avoid the harmful practice of topping (cutting branches to stubs), which weakens the tree. Focus on selective pruning to shape the tree and improve health.
- The Three D’s: Always remove dead, damaged, or diseased branches first. This enhances air circulation within the canopy, reducing the risk of fungal diseases and preventing the spread of pests like aphids, mites & borers.
- Target Problem Growth: Remove stubs, root suckers, water sprouts, and branches that are rubbing or crossing-over. This targeted approach opens up the tree’s center to allow sunlight and airflow.
- Prune at the Collar: Make clean cuts just outside the branch collar (the swollen area at the branch base). This ensures the tree heals quickly; damaged tissue from improper cuts can attract insects and diseases.
Special consideration Fruit Trees and Roses
Winter pruning of deciduous fruit trees (like apples, plums, peaches & nectarines) encourages more abundant fruiting.
Special Rose Pruning Techniques
To ensure quality blooms and proper dormancy:
- Heavy Pruning & Dormancy: Heavy pruning and stripping all leaves is essential to force dormancy and ensure concentrated, quality blooms.
- Precision Cuts: Always make a 45-degree angle cut just above an outside leaf bud. This angle prevents water collection, which reduces the risk of fungus.
- Remove Suckers: Be sure to remove any growth that starts below the graft. Sucker growth will not produce quality flowers and should be removed entirely.
Tool Hygiene and Post-Pruning Care
Keep your tools sharp and sanitize them before and after each plant—and especially after each cut on diseased wood—using 70%+ Isopropyl rubbing alcohol or a 10–20% bleach and water solution.
After pruning, clean up all debris (twigs and old leaves) to remove hiding places for insects and diseases. Follow up by putting down a fresh layer of organic mulch. Then, apply Liqui-Cop Dormant Spray (for fungus) and Horticultural Oil Spray (to kill insect eggs). Finally, apply Dr Q’s Rose & Flower Food” fertilizer to prepare your shrubs for spring.
Keen-Eyed Kate asks: “All the pruning guides I read have great information, but I’m a visual learner. Does Star Nursery provide any one-on-one instruction?”
Dr Q: You’re in luck! Our Annual Free Pruning Seminars are fast approaching where you can get hands-on advice. Join us on Saturday, January 10th or the following Saturday, January 17th at select Star Nursery Locations.
Visit starnursery.com to register for a seminar near you!
“Star Nursery, Your Garden’s Partner for Every Bloomin’ Thing” I’m Joey Lynn and I’ll see you next month~