When to prune.....?

Chub

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I just brought my two trees into an unheated porch for the winter. They'll get some light but not much direct light. When would I prune them? Now over the winter or in the Spring?
 

Alex DeRuiter

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What kind of trees? If they have leaves, have they dropped them?

From what I've read, pruning while dormant will create new branches with longer internodes, and pruning in the spring will create shorter. I've heard that pruning in spring helps the wound heal faster, but I don't have any experience with this.
 

Chub

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The one I'm asking about is a Cotoneaster. The leaves have changed to fall colors and are beginning to drop.
 
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Randy

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If you haven't already then you might benefit from reading the Growth Principles Article article from Evergreen Gardenworks from Brent Walston. Or re-read it if you have already, I have a couple times.
 

Chub

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If you haven't already then you might benefit from reading the Growth Principles Article article from Evergreen Gardenworks from Brent Walston. Or re-read it if you have already, I have a couple times.

Thanks...Could have used that article back in June or so. I root pruned and repotted my Firethorn and didn't know that I was also supposed to prune the tree itself too. Darn shame. Had it for 5 years or so and was getting to the point where it would get full of berries. It never came back, it's a goner.
 

govind5540

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I think you should prune them in spring...
 

Bill S

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Getting pretty cold at night chub, but the closed porches are still warm during the days, wait a bit longer til day time temps are below 40, once it is dormant it is dormant until longer days of sun and warm wake them up. There is no real growth during dormancy, so internode lenght won't be and issue, thats a whole nother story involving timing on pinching new growth.

Word of caution about the porches, the daytime sun even during the winter can heat up that closed porch. Watch the forcasts for temp ranges and open it up on the warmer days, think about getting in your car when it is freezing out, and how warm it is when it sits in the sun. Even with the windows open, my enclosed breezway stays about 10 degrees warmer than outside. What you want is to keep it at about 35 degrees, and keep watch of watering needs, they take more than you expect.
 
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Mike423

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I would recommend doing any heavy pruning or shaping in late winter/early spring right before the buds begin to swell and open, doing so at this time will result in the least amount of stress on the tree. Repotting is generally best done at the above mentioned time of year as well. When root pruning I always try to keep whats below ground evenly proportionate with growth above ground. Also try to not remove more than 1/3 of the root ball at any given time when repotting.
 
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