What to prune now? What to prune later?

Thursday, February 5, 2026

What to Prune in February in the Lower Mainland of BC

February is one of the most important pruning months in the Lower Mainland. With many plants still dormant and growth habits clearly visible, late winter pruning sets the stage for healthier plants, stronger structure, and better flowering and fruiting later in the season. When done correctly, pruning improves plant health, directs growth, repairs damage, and rejuvenates older plants.

This guide is based on the core principles from our Art of Pruning guide and tailored specifically to what gardeners should be focusing on in February.

🌱 Why Prune in Late Winter?

Proper pruning is guided by how a plant grows and what you want to achieve. Pruning in February allows you to:

  • Control growth and direction by redirecting energy to desired buds and branches
  • Promote plant health by removing dead, damaged, or crossing wood
  • Encourage flowers and fruit on plants that bloom or produce on new wood
  • Rejuvenate and repair plants damaged by wind, snow, or age
  • Maintain shape and function in hedges, espaliers, and trained plants

🌳 Trees to Prune in February

Fruit Trees

Late winter is the ideal time to prune most fruit trees before sap flow and bud break.

Why prune fruit trees now:

  • Encourages better fruit production
  • Repairs winter storm damage
  • Thins dense growth for improved airflow and sunlight
  • Helps train young trees into strong, productive forms

When pruning, remember that removing the terminal (end) bud redirects growth to lateral side buds, creating a denser, more productive branch structure.

Common training styles include:

  • Open centre
  • Modified central leader
  • Central leader
  • Espalier (ideal for small spaces and walls)

Always prune to outward-facing buds and keep lower branches longer than upper ones to maintain balance.

🌿 Shrubs to Prune Now

Summer-Flowering Shrubs (Bloom on New Wood)

These shrubs benefit most from February pruning:

  • Roses (most types)
  • Hydrangea paniculata and arborescens
  • Buddleia (Butterfly Bush)
  • Potentilla
  • Summer-blooming Spirea

Hard pruning on these plants encourages vigorous new growth and improved flowering.

Rejuvenation Pruning

Some shrubs respond best when older wood is removed to stimulate new growth.

  • Forsythia (remove older two-year wood)
  • Cornus, Ribes/Althea
  • Weeping Willow and Robinia (regular thinning prevents storm damage)

🌹 Roses: A February Essential

Pruning roses improves vigor, shape, air circulation, and helps prevent disease.

What to remove:

  • Dead, diseased, or winter-damaged canes
  • Weak or crossing branches
  • Any growth below the bud union (graft)
  • On budded trees only – not Roses on their own root

How to prune:

  • Reduce plants to 5–10 strong canes – Reducing overall growth by 60-75%
  • Make cuts ¼ inch above an outward-facing bud at a 45° angle

Rose-specific tips:

  • Shrub roses: Remove a few oldest canes at the base and reduce remaining growth by one-third
  • Climbing roses: Prune lightly; bloom best on two-year-old wood
  • Tree roses: Reduce top growth by about half each year
  • English roses: After year two, prune by one-third to one-half depending on desired size

🍇 Vines, Berries & Specialty Plants

Prune in February:

  • Grapes: Cut side shoots back to 2–3 buds; remove thin shoots
  • Raspberries: Remove two-year-old canes to ground level and thin rows
  • Kiwi vines
  • Wisteria (main structural pruning)

These plants produce fruit on specific wood types, so correct timing is critical.

Always remember that it is best to prune after flowering

🚫 What NOT to Prune Yet

Avoid pruning spring-flowering plants that bloom on old wood until after flowering:

  • Rhododendrons
  • Azaleas
  • Camellias
  • Lilacs
  • Magnolias
  • Forsythia (except for rejuvenation of older plants)

Pruning these now will remove this year’s flower buds.

✂️ Pruning Hedges in Late Winter

February is a good time to shape and maintain hedges, especially deciduous ones.

Hedge types:

  • Formal hedges: Sheared for clean lines (e.g. boxwood)
  • Informal hedges: Selectively pruned to maintain natural shape (e.g. rhododendrons, native cedars)

Quick hedge tips:

  • Keep the base wider than the top to allow sunlight to reach lower branches
  • Prune yearly or even twice a year, even when young
  • Finish pruning early enough for new growth to harden before winter

🛠 Essential Pruning Tools

Using the right tools—and keeping them sharp—is key to clean cuts and healthy plants.

Hand Pruners (Secateurs)

  • Best for small branches
  • Choose hook-and-blade (bypass) styles for clean cuts

Loppers

  • Two-handed tools for thicker branches
  • Hook-and-blade styles with leverage are preferred

Pruning Saws

  • Folding saws for portability
  • Fine-tooth saws for shrubs and roses
  • Curved rigid saws for larger limbs

Hedge Shears

  • Essential for formal hedges
  • Look for comfort, balance, and blade quality

Pole Pruners & Saws

  • Ideal for high branches without ladders
  • Most cut on the pull stroke

Tool Care

  • Keep blades sharp to avoid frayed cuts
  • Clean tools with rubbing alcohol between plants
  • Lightly oil before storing
  • Sharp tools are essential for proper pruning.

Remember: dull tools cause slow healing and increase disease risk.

🌿 Final Pruning Tips for the Lower Mainland

  • Prune on dry days whenever possible
  • Always remove broken, diseased, or crossing branches
  • Make clean cuts at a 45° angle just above an outward-facing bud
  • When in doubt, prune less—plants can always be pruned again
  • Do not prune leader on tall evergreen species

A little careful pruning in February goes a long way toward healthier plants and a more beautiful garden all year long.

If you’re unsure how or when to prune a specific plant, our team is always happy to help.

Need more detail? Download our Art of Pruning Pamphlet