Winter pruning is a key gardening technique for many plant lovers, especially those with woody plants like roses, trees, and shrubs. This process helps you control the size and shape of your plants, encourages flowering and overall growth, and even controls pests and diseases. Winter pruning can help maintain healthy branches that produce more vital foliage when done correctly.

Winter pruning is also beneficial for shaping shrubs, getting rid of damaged limbs, or removing crossing branches. By pruning during the winter when trees are dormant, you reduce stress on your plants and minimize damage to branches that take place when leaves are present. As an added bonus, unwanted pests are less likely to be present.

There are other aesthetic benefits, if a shrub is overgrown or if certain branches are overlapping, winter pruning can not only clean them up, but can actually make them look naturally fuller by cutting back long shoots that drop down from higher branches. So if you’re looking to give your outdoor space some TLC this wintertime, pruning might be just what your garden needs.