Tree Pruning Calendar

When to prune what. The big rule: prune AFTER bloom for spring-flowering plants; prune in DORMANCY for fruit + summer-flowering. Plus species-specific timing.

When can I prune?

Plant — Select plant — Apple Pear Peach / nectarine Plum Cherry (sweet) Cherry (tart) Apricot Fig Persimmon Pawpaw Pomegranate Citrus Walnut Hazelnut Blueberry Raspberry (summer-bearing) Raspberry (fall-bearing) Blackberry Grape Hardy kiwi / kiwifruit Rose (most types) Rose (climbing) Hydrangea (bigleaf, mophead) Hydrangea (paniculata, "PG") Lilac Forsythia Spirea Butterfly bush (Buddleia) Elderberry Oak (any) Maple (sugar - if tapping) Maple (shade tree) Birch Dogwood Cedar / juniper / arborvitae Pine / spruce / fir Boxwood

The two universal rules

Rule	Why
Spring-flowering plants: prune AFTER bloom (within 4-6 weeks)	They flower on previous year\'s wood. Pruning in winter removes flower buds.
Summer-flowering plants + fruit trees: prune in DORMANCY (late winter - early spring)	They flower on current year\'s wood. Dormant pruning shapes structure without removing this year\'s buds.
Bleeders (maple, birch, walnut): late summer or after leaf-out	Cuts in early spring weep heavy sap; aesthetic but not actually harmful.
Oaks: ONLY in dormancy (Nov-Feb)	Oak wilt disease vector active spring through summer; cuts then are infection points.
Stone fruit (peach, plum, cherry): late winter; AVOID fall	Fall pruning encourages growth that won\'t harden; winter damage. Avoid wet weather (silver-leaf disease entry).
Always 3 cuts on dead/diseased: ANY time	Dead/diseased wood removal is always safe and beneficial.

The 3-cut method (safe pruning of any branch)

1. First cut: 12-18" from the trunk, undercut 1/3 of the way through
2. Second cut: 1-2 inches further out from undercut, cut from top down all the way through. Branch falls; bark doesn\'t tear.
3. Third cut: Final clean cut at the branch collar (the swollen ring at the base, NOT flush with trunk). Outside the collar, not into it.

This prevents bark stripping when the branch falls and produces a clean wound that heals fastest. Don\'t paint pruning cuts — research shows it slows healing.

Tools

Tool	Use	Capacity
Hand pruners (bypass)	Small cuts, finishing	Up to 3/4" diameter
Loppers	Mid-size branches	3/4" - 2"
Folding pruning saw	Large branches; better than loppers above 1.5"	Up to 4"
Pole pruner / pole saw	Reach	Up to 3" + reach to 14 ft
Chainsaw	Major limbs, removal	4"+

Always sterilize between trees if disease present (10% bleach, 70% rubbing alcohol, or commercial disinfectant). This is critical for citrus (canker, greening) and stone fruit (silver leaf, brown rot).

Free under CC BY 4.0. Cite as "OAT Tree Pruning Calendar (openagriculturetechnology.com)".