When you prune correctly, it can really assist and increase the vigor and growth of a tree or shrub.
Pruning is the act of removing dead, diseased or undesireable limbs from a woody plant, be it a tree or a shrub.
Pruning small branches (and most shrubs) can be done anytime, although for shrubs and fruit and flowering trees, it's best to wait until after flowering (usually mid- to late summer).
Pruning large branches (anything over an inch in diameter) should be done when the plant is in dormancy, which is usually mid-winter.
The copyright of the article What is Pruning? in Desert Gardens is owned by Robert Dailey. Permission to republish What is Pruning? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
