Trimming trees, especially flowering ones, are all about, Timing, Timing, Timing!

Most flowering trees set their blossoms the year before they bloom. Therefore, they won't bloom if these flower buds are trimmed off the tree. The best rule is to always trim flowering trees within 3 weeks of when they finish blooming. That should prevent you from inadvertently removing buds containing next year's flower show.

            We all know proper pruning can enhance a tree's health and beauty. But tangled branches that don't look like the neat illustrations in books can be daunting. So where do you begin?

First, be sure it's a job you can handle. A small ornamental tree 12 to 25 feet tall—such as a flowering cherry, magnolia, crab apple, or Japanese maple—is one you can tackle yourself. (Bigger trees that require chain-saw and ladder work are best left to a pro.) Then be sure you understand a few key principles.

            Pruning stimulates growth, The goal is to encourage the tree to grow strong, healthy branches headed in the right direction." So make health-promoting cuts first, removing competing, misdirected, and weak branches. Then prune to enhance the tree's natural form. A magnolia has a graceful, open habit with main branches that grow up and out, and sweeping lower branches, You want to remove branches that don't look like a magnolia. A common mistake is to "top and shape" by clipping the ends of branches. Healthy shaping is done mostly from the inside. The best time for the kind of remedial pruning an established, long-neglected tree needs is winter or early spring, when active growth has not yet begun. Bare branches allow you to stand back and really see what needs to be removed.

            Removing diseased or insect-infested wood, thinning the crown to increase airflow which will reduce some pest problems, and removing crossing and rubbing branches. Pruning can best be used to encourage trees to develop a strong structure and reduce the likelihood of damage during severe weather. Removing broken or damaged limbs encourage wound closure.

            Pruning can enhance the natural form and character of trees and stimulates flower production. Pruning for form can be especially important on open grown trees that do very little self-pruning. So talk to a local garden center for help with pruning.