An important aspect of pruning is knowing when to prune plants.
Proper timing helps to insure attractive, healthy, productive plants.
The proper time to prune various woody plants in the yard and garden are indicated below. Many deciduous shrubs are planted in the home landscape for their attractive flowers. Spring-flowering shrubs bloom in the spring on the growth of the previous season. Two widely planted examples are the lilac and forsythia. The proper time to prune spring-flowering shrubs is largely determined by their condition and the amount of pruning required.