Pruning Evergreens in Summer

July 22, 2007

I often get emails asking about the best time to prune. The answer is, it depends. Diseased, dead, or damaged branches can be pruned out at any time. Live growth has to be treated differently, however. When you prune live growth, you encourage new growth. This growth needs time to adjust. Don't prune late in the fall, because the new growth will be exposed to winter before it has hardened off. Evergreens can be pruned in the spring and summer. If you prune as the new growth is comi...