The Annual Pruning Clinic

by Elizabeth McCoy · Published December 11, 2024 · Updated December 17, 2024

Woody plants remain healthier, more productive and more beautiful with strategic, well-timed pruning. Pruning young plants guides their growth into a strong and balanced structure. Pruning older plants opens them up to sunlight and airflow, limiting the opportunities for disease to infect them. Proper pruning can also rejuvenate them with new, more vigorous growth.

Pruning wisely is both an art and a science. Some homeowners and gardeners may have questions about how and when to prune the many shrubs and trees growing in their care. Homeowners may not be able to identify all the woody plants on their property, and so may not know whether each plant needs pruning, and if so, when and how to prune it properly. Improper pruning can permanently disfigure many trees and shrubs. Pruning at the wrong time can remove the buds for spring flowers and can also reduce the next year’s crop of fruits and berries.

Free Pruning Clinic Home Visits

The James City County Williamsburg Master Gardeners Association provides free visits to homeowners who want to learn more about the specific timing and techniques for pruning shrubs and trees growing in their yards. Qualified Extension Master Gardeners visit in teams of 2 or 3 to provide individualized, hands-on instruction and discuss the health and specific needs of the homeowner’s woody plants. They also demonstrate which tools to use, and how to make specific types of pruning cuts to benefit each plant that needs pruning. The team doesn’t prune for the homeowner, but rather instructs the homeowner in how to maintain their own trees and shrubs.

The application window for these visits is open now through late January and will remain open until 50 applications are received. Visits will be scheduled from late January through mid-March. Fill out the online application here. Please direct questions to [email protected] or call the Master Gardener Help Desk at 757-564-2175.