Should you Prune Landscape Shrubs in Fall? (2024)

FAQs

Should you Prune Landscape Shrubs in Fall? ›

Don't Prune in Late Summer and Fall

Winter is usually the best time.

You can prune shrubs at any time of year if it's necessary—for example, to remove broken branches or dead or diseased wood, or to remove growth that is obstructing a walkway. However, when you prune a leafed-out shrub it's harder to see what you're doing.

Avoid trimming deciduous bushes in late summer or fall.

You could encourage new growth that can't handle the upcoming frost. If it dies or is damaged, you'll have to cut these new branches off.

2. Follow the 1/3 rule. Many people are intimidated when they try to think about how much they can prune without damaging the shrub's health and vigor. When making pruning decisions, keep in mind that you can safely remove up to one-third of the plant's growth at any one time.

October sees the start of the dormant season which is the best time to prune lots of deciduous garden trees. You can prune newly planted trees to remove any damaged growth and help balance the shape of the canopy as well as maintain a dominant main leader.

The rule on fall pruning is, generally speaking, don't prune in fall. But there are a few trimming tasks you can take on with confidence, provided you approach the job with self-control and a plan. The timing window for these pruning chores is from Thanksgiving to the New Year.

Few plants are pruned this time of year because pruning encourages new growth that does not have time to harden off before winter. Late-season pruning typically does more harm than good.

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Here's when it's time to put down the pruners: In the fall. As your tree starts dropping its leaves and gets ready for winter, the last thing you want to do is prune. This only wakes the plant back up and tells it to start growing again.

During excessively cold temperatures

Plants are more brittle in cold temperatures. Messing around with them may cause branches to snap and split unintentionally. It's minor, but it could impact the look of a plant or create a haven for insects and diseases later. Don't prune when the temperature falls below 25°F.

What are the three Ts of pruning? ›

It is important to learn and understand the three T's of proper pruning: tools, timing, and technique.

Over time, continued over pruning may lead to branches that are too weak to tolerate wind or ice loads, or the plant may simply exhaust itself trying to replenish its canopy. The plant may become extremely weak, allowing a variety of pathogens and insects to invade.

Starting at the base of the shrub, eliminate the centermost branches, taking out no more than one-third of the shrub's total mass. New growth from the base should follow the next growing season. Remove another third of the old wood at the base in each of years two and three.

Timing for pruning shrubs

Good examples of shrubs that bloom on old growth are such favorites as lilac, forsythia and spirea. Pruning in the fall or even winter would remove the wood or growth that contains the flower buds. Thus the spring beauty would be lost.

If you want to prune in fall, wait until trees drop their leaves and are dormant—usually October or November. After leaf drop, you can see the tree's structure and identify disease and insect problems more easily.

Pruning at the wrong time of year

Most plants are pruned in winter, when dormant, but there are exceptions. Cherry and plum trees, for example, are susceptible to silver leaf disease, and should therefore be pruned in summer when the risk of infection is reduced.

After stems have been removed down to the ground, the shrub quickly begins to regrow.

You should trim your hedges at the same time of year you trim most of your trees — late winter to early spring. If your hedge has gotten out of hand, power hedge shears may be the best way to begin. Follow up by hand with freshly sharpened hedge trimming shears to clip away all the stray leaves or branches.

Some perennials, like hostas, peonies and daylilies, need to be pruned in fall to avoid winter damage. Plants like these should be pruned after the first few frosts in late fall or early winter. Other perennials like mums and coneflowers are better off being pruned in spring just before new growth comes in.

When the sap is flowing

Sap is the lifeblood of a plant, so if you make a cut when it's coursing through the stem of a tree or shrub (early spring for many plants), you're essentially opening a wound. This wound can keep bleeding, sucking the life out of a branch or even the entire plant.