Late fall and winter are the best time to trim and prune your landscape plants. This time of year most plants are dormant and aren’t putting on new growth. Also, the leaves have come off of deciduous plants exposing the almost skeletal structure of the branches, allowing you to see more clearly the overall growth pattern and configuration of the plant.
Armed with your pruning sheers ( small hand held ones work the best and can be had for a small price at almost any outdoor store.) The very first thing you’ll want to do is to cut off any dead limbs or small branches. Then going from bottom to top cutting at a 45 degree angle you’ll want to cut off any obvious branches or small limbs that look out of place or are shooting straight up into the air. Next you’ll need to cut off any small branches that cross over other branches. Pick the sturdiest, healthiest looking branches that appear to be going into the overall direction that you want your tree or plant to go in and cut off any cross crossing branching structures that aren’t growing in the direction you’re wanting. After these steps are completed step back and take a look at the plant and assess what still needs to be trimmed.
Then get back in there and trim some more!
Just performing these small trimming tasks your plant will be thinned significantly while also being healthier and looking better when the spring growth spurts come on in March. Don’t be afraid to cut off a limb or a branch, your plant will be just fine! And when spring does come and your plant is looking too full or isn’t growing in the direction you desire feel free to trim it again, just know that in spring you’ll be trimming often as this is the time of growth.
Happy pruning!