Start at the top of the plant and work down removing branches that extend out and over lower shorter branches. Do not cut all branches back to the same length, or the natural shape of the plant will be lost. Make pruning cuts so they will be hidden by an overlapping branch. Many conifers, such as arborvitae, develop an area on the inside of the plant canopy that has little or no foliage. Green foliage should remain on branches that are cut back.
Yews are the easiest conifer to prune.
New growth will occur wherever cuts are made. Pruning should be back to a branch or to the main trunk. An exception to this rule is in the spring when new shoots, which look like candles, develop. Severe pruning Narrowleaf evergreens are less tolerant of severe pruning than broadleaf evergreens. Most narrowleaf evergreens do not have dormant buds on old wood.