1 Choose the right moment
Prune in late winter or early spring, after the heaviest frosts and before the buds open. Do not work in the rain, as diseases are more easily transmitted through fresh cuts.
2 Clean the tools and inspect the canopy
Disinfect and sharpen your shears and saw. Walk around the tree from all sides and first identify dry, broken, diseased, and crossing branches, or those growing toward the center.
? Tip: Before each major cut, take a few steps back and look at the shape of the canopy again; it is easy to remove a branch, but you cannot put it back.
3 First remove problematic branches
Cut thin branches just above the branch collar without leaving a long stub. Cut a thicker branch in three steps so its weight doesn’t tear the bark down the trunk.
4 Open up the canopy moderately
Remove water sprouts that grow upright and some of the branches that crowd the center. Keep healthy branches distributed in different directions and do not remove more than about a quarter of the canopy in a single year.
⚠ Warning: Do not climb unstable ladders and do not cut near electrical lines. Leave a tall canopy to a trained arborist.
5 Finish with clean cuts and monitor the tree
Smooth only torn edges, gather diseased branches, and clean your tools again. Most smaller proper cuts heal without sealing; show large wounds and suspected disease to an expert.