Best time to chop cotoneaster?

[KennedyMarx]

Should I do this while it's still dormant? Also I'd like to repot it into a better draining mix as the nursery dirt it's in is quite compacted. Would it be safe to do both at the same time or should I wait and separate the two?

 

[Larix]

Cotoneaster can be worked just before bud break like most specemines. The secret is timing it and the after care available. Once worked (thawed, repotted, pruned) you can't let it refreeze without usually suffering some serious side effects. So, worked specimines need late winter protection once awoken from their winter nap. Chill die back may be planned for by prunning above the final cut line and leaving more to anticipate the die back, then another cut back in spring to your envisioned planned cut. Cotoneaster liked being cut back to fill out better with new growth during the growing season here in NJ

 

[KennedyMarx]

Thanks, Larix. I figured that would generally be the case, but some species have their particular quirks and I couldn't really find much specifically about cotoneaster when I was looking.