Pruning Basics: The Complete Walkthrough
This guide covers pruning basics, rated a moderate task, typically taking varies.
This is the expanded version of our pruning basics guide, for anyone who wants the full detail rather than just the quick-reference card.
Cut just above a bud, at an angle
A clean, angled cut just above an outward-facing bud directs new growth outward and sheds water away from the cut — the same basic principle applies across most fruit trees, shrubs, and roses.
Getting Set Up
Worth paying attention to:
- Sharp, clean secateurs for small growth
- Loppers for thicker branches
- A pruning saw for anything loppers can't manage
- Rubbing alcohol or similar, for cleaning tools between plants if disease is a concern
Step by Step
Keep these points in mind:
- 1. Identify the goal first — shaping, renewal, disease/damage removal, or encouraging fruiting.
- 2. Remove dead, damaged, or diseased wood first, regardless of other goals.
- 3. Remove crossing or inward-growing branches to open up the centre for light and airflow.
- 4. Make angled cuts just above an outward-facing bud, sloping away from the bud so water runs off.
- 5. Step back periodically to assess the overall shape rather than making cut after cut without checking progress.
Common Issues
Worth paying attention to:
- Plant not fruiting after pruning — some fruit trees fruit on last year's wood, others on new growth; pruning at the wrong time or removing the wrong wood can remove the coming season's fruit.
- Excessive regrowth after a hard prune — a common response to heavy pruning; expect and plan for a flush of vigorous growth that may need thinning again.
- Disease spreading through cuts — clean tools between plants, and avoid pruning susceptible species in wet weather when infection risk is higher.
- Unsure where to cut — when in doubt, make a smaller cut and reassess, rather than removing more than necessary in one go.
Timing and Maintenance
Best time — most trees and shrubs: winter, while dormant. Stone fruit and some ornamentals: summer, to reduce disease entry risk. Duration — from minutes for a small shrub to a full day for a mature, neglected tree. Maintenance — generally an annual task per plant, timed to that species' specific requirements. Signs of success — an open, balanced shape with good light penetration, and strong new growth from the remaining buds the following season.
For the condensed printable version, head to the main guide page linked below.