Waiting until the leaves drop in fall is a rule of thumb for pruning shade trees, mainly because you can see bare limbs better, and the job is less “messy” without leaves attached to the cut branches.

Winter is the perfect time to prune oak trees. Oak trees are special for many reasons: they’re Iowa’s state tree, they’re important to our ecosystem and — they shouldn’t be pruned during the spring ...

Just a few cuts can maintain their natural beauty.

Small trees and shrubs are an important part of most landscapes. While foliage can hide problems through the growing season, this is a good time of year to take a close look at branching patterns.

I planted some new trees this spring. What pruning should I be doing on those trees? A few pruning cuts on those new trees can make a big difference in how they develop into mature trees. Most trees ...

Fig trees (Ficus carica) thrive in USDA hardiness zones 8 through 10, though they can also grow in colder areas with proper protection. In addition to providing shade and beauty to your yard—not to ...

Before plants leaf out for the spring, it’s a good idea to take some time for maintenance tasks in the garden. Here are two important items to put on your to-do list: pruning and fertilizing your ...

An expert horticulturist highlights seven plants to prune in December. These are suitable for milder zones, but shouldn’t be ...

Today I started pruning out the water sprouts in my four crabapple trees. Some people might call these “suckers,” but suckers grow up from the bottom of the trunk and water sprouts grow in the upper ...

It is just as important to know when not to prune as it is to know when you should prune your plants. Otherwise, pruning can cause more damage than the cutting is worth. Certain conditions and plant ...