Pruning Evergreens

Pruning Evergreens

Why would I need to prune my evergreen?

• To remove dead, sickened or damaged branches
• To maintain plant health
• To maintain plant size
• To get the desired shape

What time of the year is best to prune evergreens?

Pine trees:

Trim pines as new growth forms in spring.
Avoid pruning or trimming your pine trees during early fall and late summer.

Spruces & Firs:

Prune new growth in late winter or early spring.
Doing it during this time gives the wounds adequate time to heal up.

Arborvitae:

The best time to prune would be late winter or early spring before new growth begins.
Its okay to shear them, just don’t go so far back that you are shearing into bare wood.
They have a hard time pushing new growth out of old wood.

Junipers:

The best time is early spring prior to new growth.
They can be pruned anytime except for during cold weather.
When you prune sub-zero temperatures, the plant has a hard time sealing up the wounds, making them more sensitive to cold weather issues, pests, and diseases.