Winter pruning takes advantage of the plant’s dormancy. With sap flow slowed and leaves gone, structural flaws are easy to ...

The first winter I got brave with pruning, I “tidied up” a lilac on a sunny January afternoon. Come spring, the shrub was covered in lush, healthy leaves… and not a single flower. I’d cut off every ...

Although some plants can be damaged by winter pruning, others actually grow better and fruit and flower more abundantly when they’re cut back in winter. Plus, it's easier to see the branches without ...