Beginner

Late fall is an ideal time to prune and trim certain plants to encourage healthy growth in the spring. Prune away dead or diseased branches from trees and shrubs, and trim back perennials to about 3 inches above the soil line. Be sure to research the specific requirements for the plants in your garden, as not all plants benefit from fall pruning.

Pruning Berry Bushes

Blueberry Bushes:

• Prune in late winter or early spring before new growth begins.
• Remove dead, damaged, and diseased branches.
• Cut out weak or spindly growth.
• Thin out the oldest canes to encourage new growth.
• Shape the bush by removing crowded or crossing branches.

Raspberry and Blackberry Bushes:

• Prune in late winter to early spring.
• Remove the canes that fruited the previous year (floricanes) once they’ve finished fruiting.
• Thin out the remaining canes, leaving the strongest and healthiest.
• Cut back the lateral branches to promote new growth.
• Keep the bushes open for good air circulation.

Strawberry Plants:

• Trim the runners (long shoots) to promote larger fruit production.
• Thin out overcrowded strawberry plants by removing older plants and allowing new runners to take their place.
• Remove any dead leaves and debris from the strawberry bed.

Pruning Fruit Trees

Apple and Pear Trees:

• Prune during late winter or early spring before buds break.
• Remove dead, diseased, or broken branches.
• Thin out crowded branches to allow light and air circulation.
• Prune to shape the tree and encourage an open center (vase shape).
• Heading cuts can be used to control the height of the tree and encourage lateral growth.

Peach and Nectarine Trees:

• Prune in late winter while the tree is still dormant.
• Remove dead or diseased branches.
• Thin out the tree by removing crowded or vertically growing branches.
• Head back the main branches to promote lateral growth.
• Open the center of the tree to improve sunlight penetration.

Cherry Trees:

• Prune in late winter or early spring before bud break.
• Remove dead or diseased branches.
• Thin out the tree to improve air circulation.
• Shape the tree to an open center structure.
• Avoid heavy pruning as cherries tend to produce fruit on older wood.

Plum Trees:

• Prune in late winter or early spring.
• Remove dead, diseased, or weak branches.
• Thin out crowded growth.
• Head back the main branches to encourage lateral branching.
• Prune to an open center for better fruit production and air circulation.

Pruning Perennial Herbs

Rosemary:

• Prune rosemary lightly throughout the year to maintain its shape.
• In the spring, prune more heavily to remove dead or woody growth.
• Avoid cutting into the woody stem, as rosemary may not regrow from bare wood.

Lavender:

• Prune lavender in early spring just as new growth begins.
• Trim back to remove spent flower stems and shape the plant.
• Avoid cutting too far into old wood, as lavender can be slow to recover.

Thyme:

• Prune thyme regularly during the growing season to encourage bushiness.
• Trim back after flowering to prevent it from becoming leggy.
• Thyme can tolerate quite a bit of pruning.

Sage:

• Prune sage in the spring to remove dead or woody growth.
• Trim back to shape the plant and encourage new growth.
• Avoid cutting into the woody stem too severely.

Mint:

• Mint can be pruned throughout the growing season to keep it bushy and prevent it from becoming too leggy.
• Cut it back to just above a set of leaves, as this will encourage new growth.
• In the fall, you can do a more extensive trim to prepare it for winter.

Oregano:

• Prune oregano in the early spring before new growth starts.
• Remove dead or woody stems and shape the plant.
• Oregano can handle a fairly aggressive pruning.

Chives:

• Trim chives throughout the growing season to encourage new leaf growth.
• Cut the leaves back to about 2 inches above the soil.
• Divide chive clumps every few years to maintain their health.

Parsley:

• Regularly pinch or cut back parsley leaves to encourage new growth.
• Remove any flower stalks as they appear to prolong leaf production.
• Avoid cutting into the central crown of the plant.

Cilantro:

• Harvest cilantro leaves regularly, which naturally prunes the plant.
• Cut back the leaves to prevent it from bolting and going to seed.
• Cilantro is an annual herb, so it will need to be replanted each season.

Pruning Perennial Vegetables

Asparagus:

• In late winter or early spring, cut back the dead foliage from the previous season to the ground before new shoots emerge.
• Avoid cutting new spears when they first emerge, allowing them to grow into mature, fern-like foliage that will photosynthesize and support the roots for the next year.

Rhubarb:

• In the early spring, remove any dead or damaged leaves.
• Harvest the stalks when they are of a sufficient size, but avoid harvesting more than one-third of the plant at a time.
• Allow some stalks to remain and produce leaves for ongoing photosynthesis.

Artichoke:

• Prune artichoke plants in the late fall after the last harvest of the year.
• Cut back the plant to a height of about 6 inches and remove any dead or damaged leaves.
• Mulch the base of the plant to protect it from frost during the winter.

Jerusalem Artichoke (Sunchoke):

• Prune Jerusalem artichoke plants in late winter or early spring.
• Cut back the dead stalks to ground level to allow new growth in the spring.
• Sunchokes can be invasive, so make sure to control their spread in the garden.

Sorrel:

• Trim sorrel plants throughout the growing season to encourage new leaf production.
• Cut back the flowering stalks to prolong leaf production.
• Avoid letting the plant go to seed if you want to maintain leaf quality.

Lovage:

• Prune lovage in the early spring.
• Cut back the dead or damaged stems and shape the plant as desired.
• Lovage can grow quite tall, so you may need to cut it back to prevent it from overshadowing other plants.

Walking Onions (Egyptian Onions):

• Trim the green tops of walking onions as needed throughout the growing season.
• Harvest the topsets (bulbils) when they mature and plant them to propagate new plants.
• Allow some topsets to fall to the ground and produce new plants.

Good King Henry:

• Trim the foliage of Good King Henry plants as needed to encourage new leaf growth.
• Remove any flower stalks as they appear to prolong leaf production.
• This perennial vegetable is similar to spinach and can be continuously harvested