Seasonal pruning: when and how to cut back trees and shrubs

Timing is everything

Prune most trees and shrubs in late winter, just before new growth starts. Cuts heal fastest then, and you can see the branch structure clearly.

Flowering shrubs are the exception: prune spring bloomers right after they flower, or you will cut off next year's buds.

Make clean cuts

Cut just outside the branch collar — the slight swelling where a branch meets the trunk. Leaving a stub invites rot; cutting flush removes the tissue that seals the wound.

• Never remove more than a quarter of the canopy in one season.
• Sterilise blades between plants to avoid spreading disease.
• Remove dead, crossing and inward-growing branches first.