Winter, when deciduous plants are bare and dormant, is a fine time to trim and shape your shrubs. “With the leaves gone, you can see the structure of the plant better,” Janoski said. Plan to get the work done before the middle of March. You can prune any shrub during the winter, although if you prune branches from plants that bloom in spring, such as forsythia or flowering quince, you’ll be removing flower buds and you will forgo some blooms.
