03/02/2026
Keep your trees and shrubs healthy great time to trim .
Right now — late February into early March — is prime time for pruning most deciduous fruit trees 🌳✂️
Trees are still dormant, which means cuts heal cleaner, disease pressure is low, and you can clearly see the full branch structure without leaves blocking your view.
Here’s what to focus on:
🌿 Apple trees — Remove water sprouts, crossing branches, and any growth heading toward the center. An open canopy improves airflow, sunlight pe*******on, and more even fruit ripening.
🌿 Pear trees — Thin dense upright shoots now. Pears naturally grow narrow and crowded, which traps moisture and increases fire blight risk once warm, wet weather arrives.
🌿 Plum trees — Remove dead wood and inward-growing branches while fully dormant. Stone fruits are highly susceptible to silver leaf disease if pruned during damp conditions later.
🌿 Cherry trees — Only prune during this dry dormant window. Cherries are especially disease-prone, and late-season cuts increase the risk of bacterial canker.
🌿 Grape vines — Cut last year’s growth back to 2–3 buds per spur before sap begins to rise. Grapes “bleed” heavily in early spring, which weakens the vine before leaf-out.
Once sap starts flowing, every cut becomes an open wound that attracts fungal spores and boring insects. That’s why this short late-winter window is more important than almost any other pruning advice you’ll hear all year.
