Occasional thinning of interfering, weak or excessive growth and stepping back by drop-crotch methods may be necessary. This should be done in late winter. When pruned later, damage to the new, succulent growth is inevitable. Most needled evergreens, such as pine, spruce, juniper and fir, need little or no pruning. Unfortunately, they often are sheared.
Upright junipers are a classic case.
Shearing is so common with juniper that it is difficult to find the natural shape. Sheared evergreens, like hedges, will always shade out on the inside and become more prone to snow damage. Where a branch needs to be pruned away from an evergreen, follow the usual drop-crotching technique. Remember, however, that this is a shearing practice, not a pruning practice. For more information, see fact sheet 7.205, Pruning Evergreens .