How to prune a tree or shrub

When

Best: Feb–Mar (northern hemisphere — southern hemisphere: add six months)

Late dormancy — after the worst cold, before bud break, when wounds close fastest. Dead, damaged or diseased wood can come off in any month.

Never

✗ Never cut a branch off flush with the trunk.
✗ Never leave a stub past the collar, or more than about 1/4 in above a bud.
✗ Never take a heavy limb off with a single cut from above — the bark tears down the trunk.
✗ Never top a tree back to stubs to reduce its height; it starves the tree and forces weak, failure-prone regrowth.
✗ Never routinely seal or paint a pruning wound — dressings do not stop decay.
✗ Never prune within 10 feet of a power line; that work belongs to a certified arborist.

Months in these rules are northern-hemisphere — in the southern hemisphere, shift them by six.

• Prune in late dormancy, after the worst cold but before bud break: wounds close fast and pests are inactive.
• Do the 3 Ds first — dead, diseased, damaged — then anything crossing or rubbing.
• Start the cut just outside the branch bark ridge and finish just outside the swelling of the branch collar.
• For limbs over 1.5 in (4 cm) use three cuts: undercut, then cut off further out, then the final collar cut.
• Shorten a shoot to a bud facing the way you want the growth to go, about 1/4 in (6 mm) above it.
• Take no more than 20-25% of a young or shrubby plant at once, and under 10% of live foliage on a mature tree.
• Take nothing live off a stressed tree — wait until it has recovered.
• Stone fruit and ornamental Prunus are the reverse case: prune them in summer, not in the damp dormant season.
• Where oak wilt occurs, do not prune oaks April-July; save oak work for November-March.
• Disinfect blades between plants: about two minutes in 1 part bleach to 9 parts water, then dry and oil them.

Sourced from US university cooperative-extension services and the RHS, then adversarially fact-checked — every rule carries its source.

Want these rules applied to a photo of your own plant?

The Citrus Care app runs entirely on your phone — free, no account, no subscription, and your photos never leave the device.

Direct APK download · 161 MB · Android only