Pruning fruit trees during fall is generally a bad idea. Instead, trim them in late winter or early spring, when the trees are dormant. However, you can still remove dry, damaged, or dead branches in ...

Even if your shrubs are looking a bit forgotten, fall pruning can damage new growth or remove future flowers. Don't prune these plants in October.

There is a case to be made for waiting to prune your hostas until spring. "Early spring is ideal if you skipped fall cleanup," says Kelly Funk, president and CEO of Jackson & Perkins. "Cut away last ...