Prune your trees as winter approaches

It is common to prune plants and trees in the garden as winter approaches. Is this really recommended? Why is it necessary to do it at this time and when exactly is it advisable to do it? These are some of the questions we will answer.

Why prune your plants, shrubs and trees regularly?

Is it mandatory to prune your shrubs and trees? Many of the plants in your garden seem to do just fine without you having to touch them for several years. All they need is regular watering and the nutrients they need.

However, periodic pruning can only do your shrubs and trees good. For some species, it is even a vital need. Here is a list of different reasons that highlight the importance of pruning your plants:

• This allows the shrub or tree to rejuvenate with new branches;
• You limit their growth;
• You have more control over the direction they are pushing in;
• You stimulate their flowering;
• Pruning eliminates diseases and pests;
• You can give them some aesthetics.

At what time of the year is pruning recommended?

It is often said that the best time to prune is as winter approaches. However, if we take a closer look at the life cycle of most plants, this period is much longer than it seems.

Pruning can be done from the time the leaves start to fall, which is around mid-October, until the end of winter approaches, which is mid-March. During this period the plant is said to be in “dormancy”. With a minimum of activity of its “organism”, it will feel less the effects of the aggression following a pruning. This will allow it to grow vigorously in the spring.

However, a diseased, damaged or dead branch can be pruned at any time of the year. In fact, cutting off this part will improve the health of the tree.

How to properly prune your plants, shrubs and trees before winter?

If you want to properly prune your shrubs and trees before winter, first inspect the diseased or dead branches. Cut them as low as possible to eliminate as many sections as possible that could harm the health of the tree.

Next, trim branches smaller than 3 or 4 cm in diameter with a branch cutter. For larger branches, use a handsaw or chainsaw. Aerate the tree by cutting off overgrown branches and branches that are misplaced or pointing in the wrong direction.

Also remove the suckers, i.e. the shoots of the trees as well as the rootstock shoots of the grafted plants. Finally, remove the moss from the trunk of the trees with a soft brush and treat it with an organic product.