Water new plantings early in the day for several days until they take hold. It is always best to water early in the morning or late in the day as midday sun evaporates water before plants can absorb it. Supplement natural rainfall as plants require and keep watering right through fall.
More plants die from lack of water in autumn than from winter kill.
Sometimes this means lopping off big healthy branches, but more often and more importantly, it involves trimming out dead or damaged wood and weak shoots. Generally, plants should be pruned with sharp tools during their active growing season, usually spring, or right after they bloom. Eliminate straggly stems by cutting them by half at a 45 degree angle, just above a strong outward-facing shoot or bud. Spring-blooming trees and shrubs should be pruned after blooming in spring. Other shrubs and trees prefer late winter or early spring pruning.