Proper Pruning

01/22/2026

After snow or ice, we often hear: “Should I knock this off?”

In many cases, the safest answer is no.

I've put together a short blog explaining how snow and ice affect plants differently, when gentle action is okay, and when patience prevents breakage.

👉

Winter storms in the Lake Norman area often bring a mix of snow, ice, and rapid freeze–thaw cycles. While it’s natural to want to “fix” plants weighed down by

01/21/2025

With this cold snap gripping the Southeast, you might be wondering if now is the right time to prune your trees. 🌿❄️ Some trees bleed a lot of sap when cut, but does that mean you should wait?
Find out when and how to prune without harming your trees in our latest blog. 🌳✂️

Read more here: https://www.properpruning.com/pruning-trees-that-bleed-a-lot-what-you-need-to-know/

Pruning trees is an essential part of maintaining a healthy and aesthetically pleasing landscape, but some trees release significant amounts of sap when cut.

01/13/2025

Pruning is essential for maintaining the health and beauty of your plants, but timing is crucial. While you can remove a few wild growths any time of the year, fall is generally not the best season for pruning, especially for hard pruning. Here’s why:
https://www.properpruning.com/pruning-in-the-fall-is-the-worst-time/

01/10/2025

07/05/2024

Meatball pruning! During this hot, dry summer you'll see many plants suffering even more than usual because of bad pruning.

In Search of Meatballs - In this video we walk around the neighborhood and NCSU campus to show off the plants that are pruned into meatballs. Weekly Garden P...

02/12/2024

Exciting news, friends! I’m branching out into a new venture – a specialized pruning service focused on enhancing the beauty and health landscapes by doing what almost no one does: prune ornamental plants correctly.
ProperPruning.com

“We see the mangled limbs left by mechanical butchers, the breeding grounds of disease and decay, and we say no more.”
We Declare War!