Have a clear goal before you start any pruning. Pines, firs, hemlock, yews and spruce are the most common needle-leaved evergreens grown in our climate. Others have scaly, needle-like structures, such as junipers and arborvitae. We are also able to grow a few broadleaf evergreens, such as rhododendrons and boxwood. There are some important differences in how they grow that will effect how you care for them.
Yews have a strong growth period in late spring and often a smaller one in mid summer.
Some scaly, needle-like evergreens, such as junipers and arborvitae, put on several growth spurts during the season. No matter what type of evergreen, almost all of its new growth will come from buds started the previous season. These are usually terminal buds, located at the ends of branches. Another common factor is that all evergreens are very reluctant to re-sprout from bare or old wood. Once you have opened up an area and can see the branches or trunk, it may not ever fill back in.