How and When To Prune Your Trees & Shrubs in Utah
How and When To Prune Your Trees & Shrubs in Utah

Most shrubs and fruit trees require some pruning to keep producing healthy fruit and for shaping purposes. Around Utah, most plants endure a time of absolute freezing weather in the winter and, therefore the tips of many plants have what is called winter burn where the tips of the branches die from exposure. With this process in mind, pruning on many shrubs and fruit is suggested in spring but judge carefully to avoid any late freezes.
When pruning remember the importance of healthy maintenance of your plant or tree.
- Cut in a diagonal to allow moisture to run off instead of remain and gather bacteria harmful to your plants.
- Use pruning sealer after cutting.
- Remove all dead limbs.
- Remove all limbs growing inward.
- Thin limbs that rub against each other.
- Thin limbs that do not allow light to filter through to the lower limbs.
- Do not heavily prune any shrub or tree unless under extreme reasons of expert advice, preference of the shrub, or diseased plant (removal might be recommended). Most plants will not endure heavy pruning and will either take a long time to recover or will die.
- Do not prune in the heat of the summer. It will over stress the plant.