Many gardeners have questions at this time of year about spring pruning...

• Will early pruning cause fruit tree leaf and flower buds to develop earlier and possibly be damaged by normal spring frosts?  
• Should pruning still be done in March and early April or should it be done earlier if conditions have been warm? 
• What about shade trees? Should any adjustments in the time of pruning be made in response to warm conditions? 

Let’s discuss each question, but first it’s important to understand woody plant leaf and flower buds were formed last fall. They are already present on branch twigs, so you should be able to find dormant buds when doing a close examination of your plant now. The presence of buds now is normal and does not mean plants are actively growing yet.

Does pruning cause early leaf and flower bud development?

No, pruning actually has a slight delaying effect on bud growth.

After pruning, a plant has to adjust and begin sending growth hormones to new buds, since the preferred buds at the tips of branches removed are now gone. This process could take about 10 days, so bud development is slowed down a little. Note: it’s risky for growers to use pruning to slow down and “protect” flower buds.  

Best time to prune fruit trees 
Less winter-hardy fruit trees like peach, apricot, and sweet cherry, should always be pruned late, usually mid-March to early April, no matter how much warm mid-winter weather we experience. Pruning is done just before new growth starts. This is also the best practice for the more cold-hardy fruits, like pear, apple, plum, and tart cherry, as well as shade trees.  

Why? Pruning at this time has two big benefits. First, there is less chance of cold damage at the pruning sites. Second, plants heal pruning wounds much faster if the cuts are made just before new growth begins.  

There’s still plenty of time for cold late winter temperatures and freezes, which will slow bud development down. Early pruning leaves plants susceptible to cold temperature injury at the pruning sites.  

Best time to prune shade trees   
For homeowners who can choose the ideal time to prune, shade trees should also be pruned just before growth begins in spring. If you need to hire an arborist to prune a large tree, anytime before early May would be a great time to do it.  

Join Sarah Browning Saturday, March 1, for the NRD’s annual Spring Gardening Workshop. The topic will be Mastering the Basics of Pruning. The free class will be held at the 4H building at the York County Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to noon.