What plants should you prune in winter? Here’s Marianne Binetti’s advice

The beginning of February means it is time to consider the big hack job or to simply get snippy with some of your trees, shrubs and perennials.

To prune or not to prune, that is the question. The answer is: it depends. The plant variety, the bloom time, the space needed and even the weather all determines if it is time to prune a specific plant. But gardening is an art not a science so the best cutting edge advice might just be to prune when the shears are sharp and stop putting off the job.

Prune these in winter: Birch trees, willows, maples, fruit trees, some hydrangeas, shrub hibiscus, twig dogwoods, shade trees and ornamental grasses.

Trees that ooze sap during the spring are best pruned when the sap flow is still slow from winter dormancy. If you need to remove a large branch then the time to cut is now.

What to remove? The three D’s.

Anything on a tree that is dead, diseased or damaged can be cut out any time of the year.

Do not cut the dominant branch on a tree.

Apical dominance is the term for the highest branch on a tree usually pointing to the sky. This is what gives trees a more pointed upright form rather than a bushy or rounded form. Do not cut out the top branch on a tree or you will encourage lots of side branches to turn skyward in a race to establish a new dominant branch.

The goal is to thin out inner branches, not to chop off the ends and tips of branches.

A good rule of green thumb is to follow the weakest or thinnest branches back to the trunk or source and cut them where they emerge. While you are looking inside the tree you can rub or snip out any tiny new sprouts so that all the tree energy goes to the more established branches.

Call in the pros for big jobs.

Warning here. Pruning is dangerous. I have had branches fall onto my head, ladders fall over in soggy ground and I still have fingers only because I wear thick leather gloves when I prune.

Consider a pruning tool on a long pole to avoid ladders.

Look up pruning pole on the internet as there are several versions of a pruning saw that will allow one to stand on the ground and reach into trees and tall shrubs. Some are battery operated, some have electrical cords and some you just pull a string to activate a lever that cuts through thin tree branches.

Lazy gardeners rejoice – it is not necessary to prune trees and large shrubs every year or do any pruning at all if you want to go natural. Give your trees plenty of room, chose the right plant for the right space and let nature take her course.

Marianne Binetti has a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and is the author of several books. Reach her at binettigarden.com.

This story was originally published January 31, 2026 at 5:15 AM with the headline "What plants should you prune in winter? Here’s Marianne Binetti’s advice."