While many Michigan gardeners retreat indoors during the cold months of January and February, these quiet days offer a unique opportunity that is often overlooked. Dormant pruning, or the practice of trimming your trees and shrubs while they are in their deep winter sleep, is a smart, low-stress way to get ahead of the spring rush. Rather than waiting for the busy growing season, taking advantage of the “off-season” allows you to shape your landscape and ensure your plants wake up refreshed and ready for vigorous growth.
By pruning now, you are taking advantage of a period where the plant’s energy is stored safely in the roots. Without leaves obscuring your view, you can clearly see the “skeleton” of your trees and shrubs, making it easier to identify structural issues before they become major problems.
WHY PRUNE IN THE DEAD OF WINTER?
While it may seem counterintuitive to head outside with shears in the middle of a Michigan freeze, the benefits will be significant.
- Disease Prevention: Many common Michigan pests and diseases, such as Oak Wilt or Fire Blight, are dormant during the winter. Pruning now prevents open wounds from being exposed to active spores or hungry insects.
- Faster Healing: As soon as the sap begins to flow in early spring, the plant will immediately begin the “callusing” process over your clean cuts, sealing out pathogens before the growing season even starts.
- Structural Clarity: Without foliage, you can easily spot crossing branches, “V-shaped” weak crotches, or storm damage that needs to be addressed to maintain the plant’s integrity.
- Vitality Boost: By removing old wood while the plant is resting, you ensure that as soon as the ground warms, the plant redirects all its stored energy into producing robust new growth rather than struggling to maintain weak or overgrown branches.
WHAT TO PRUNE NOW
Most deciduous trees and shrubs benefit from a winter trim, but timing and technique are everything.
- Shade Trees: This is an excellent time to prune Oak, Maple, and Linden trees. Removing heavy or competing branches now reduces the risk of limb failure during spring and summer storms. Focus on increasing light and air at the tree’s crown by removing overgrown or smaller interior branches.
- Fruit Trees: For Apple, Pear, and Plum trees, dormant pruning is a great way to boost harvest quality. Thinning out the canopy also encourages better light penetration. For Peach trees, you can be more aggressive, often removing up to half of last year’s growth to keep the tree headed low and manageable.
- Summer-Blooming Shrubs: Plants that bloom on “new wood” (growth produced in the current year) should be pruned in late winter. This includes Panicle Hydrangeas (like Limelight), Rose of Sharon, and Potentilla. For Butterfly Bush, you can cut the stems back significantly, even close to the ground, to encourage a fresh, bushy growth.
- Evergreens: February is a good time to tidy up Arborvitae, Spruce, or Yews by removing dead or diseased interior wood. You can also remove any unwanted lower branches on evergreens now to create a cleaner look at the base.
WHAT TO LEAVE ALONE
Not every plant wants a winter trim. A common mistake is pruning away the very thing you’ve been waiting all winter to see: the flowers.
- Spring-Blooming Shrubs: Do not prune Lilacs, Forsythia, Azaleas, or Serviceberry in the winter. These plants set their flower buds last summer. If you prune them now, you are cutting off this year’s bloom. Wait until immediately after they finish flowering in the spring.
- Macrophylla Hydrangeas: “Bigleaf” hydrangeas (the blue and pink varieties) bloom on old wood. Leave these alone until they leaf out in late May, so you can see which stalks actually died back and which are ready to bloom.
- Pines: Unlike Spruce or Fir, Pines should generally be left alone in winter. Wait until early summer (June or July) when the new “candles” have emerged to do your shaping.
Tips for Successful Winter Pruning in Michigan
- The Three D’s: Always start by removing the Dead, Damaged, or Diseased wood. This immediately improves the health of the plant without needing a complex strategy.
- Pick the Right Day: Aim to prune on a mild, dry day. While you want to prune while dormant, avoid days of extreme, deep-freezing temperatures, as wood becomes brittle and prone to cracking. The dry weather also helps prevent the spread of waterborne diseases.
- The 25% Rule: Never remove more than 25% of a plant’s total canopy in a single season. Over-pruning can “shock” the system and cause a flush of weak, spindly water sprouts in the spring.
- Cut at the Node: When making your cuts, always cut at the “node” – the point where one branch or twig attaches to another. This ensures the plant can heal properly.
- Use the Right Tools: Ensure your bypass pruners and loppers are professionally sharpened. For taller branches, consider a long-reach pole pruner to keep your feet safely on the ground and avoid the hazards of using a ladder on icy Michigan soil.
Whether you’re looking for a deep dive into advanced pruning techniques or you’re ready to start scouting for new trees to fill the gaps in your landscape, now is the perfect time to visit us at the garden center. Our knowledgeable staff is here to help you prep your tools for the season or pick out the perfect varieties to plant once the ground thaws. Come in today and let’s get your Michigan garden ready for its best spring yet.