Time to prune woody plants

Late winter is a perfect time to prune the woody deciduous plants in your lawn and garden. Deciduous refers to the trees and shrubs that lose their leaves every winter, such as maples, hydrangeas, and oaks. Herbaceous plants have stems that will die back to the ground every winter. These can be cut back once the weather starts to warm.

Winter pruning is ideal because of the lack of leaves, dormancy of the plant, and reduced risk of transmitting diseases between plants. Without leaves, the structure of these woody plants is exposed and much easier to see. Plants that are dormant go through less...