To ensure the best health, shape and size of garden trees, follow our pruning guide.
What to do
Most deciduous trees are best pruned when dormant, in late autumn or winter. Don't prune in late winter or early spring, as many trees bleed sap if cut at this time of year.
The exceptions to the 'deciduous tree' rule are maple, horse chestnut, birch, walnut and cherry trees which all bleed extensively, even towards the end of their dormant season, so prune these in mid-summer after new growth has matured.
Conifers require little or no regular pruning except the removal of dead or diseased branches in late summer.
