The unkindest cut can be none at all! Winter pruning removes dead or broken branches and is good for the tree’s health or aesthetic appeal.

With properly sharpened tools, (hand-held pruners, loppers and pruning saws), and the right techniques, even novice “prunophobics” can tackle this job. Make a slanted cut (to prevent standing water on the stub) at or near the closest “vee” in the branch – to avoid creating a big stub. Cut close, but not too close, to the remaining limb; you don’t want to injure the branch that’s left. Disinfect your tools (with a bleach solution) if removing a diseased branch. For more information on proper cuts and specific techniques click here.

Of course, if you’re a “prunaholic” who can’t stop snipping, Doris Taylor, Arboretum Plant Clinic Manager, advises, “Go slowly because you can’t put it back on!” After each cut, step back and look at your work from all angles to see if you’re creating a pleasing shape.

The most common mistakes people make in pruning are “forsythia meatballs” and “buckthorn babies. ” The meatball look, attained by pruning a shrub such as forsythia into an unnatural shape, can also result in a loss of blooms. At the other extreme, gardeners sometimes go to great pains to preserve parts of a tree without realizing it’s a volunteer weed. “Look carefully at the leaves and bark of the stems,” Taylor cautions. “Often invasive plants like buckthorn will grow up right in the middle of your plant. There’s no need to save those!”

This post was adapted from an article written for the Chicago Sun-Times.

Ask Us
Q: My lilac is very overgrown. Should I prune it now?
A: Typically, spring-blooming trees and shrubs are pruned after they bloom so that you can enjoy the flowers. It will not hurt if you prune a plant before it flowers, and sometimes you may need to forfeit the flowers if the plant’s health is at stake.

Q: Is this true that tree paints are no longer necessary?
A: Research concluded that wound dressings did not affect the rate of preventing disease. In most cases, pruning cuts will close by a natural callus without any aid. The exception would be pruning oaks and elms in the summer. The potential for spreading oak wilt and Dutch elm disease are greater when insects are active.

Q: Last year I pruned a broken maple branch in early March and the sap ran for three weeks. Is there something I should have done?
A: Maple, birch, elm, walnut and a few other trees are considered “bleeders.” This is unsightly but harmless. To avoid the “hemorrhage,” don’t prune these trees until the foliage has emerged in late spring.

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