does it hurt to cut limbs offf a bush in the winter ?

Answer 1

It depends what kind of bush it is. If it blooms on new wood, you may lose some of the blossoms. There are a lot of good pruning books and they tell you how to prune and when to prune. The one I like is called The Complete book of pruning by Duncan Coombs, Peter Blackburn-Maze, Martyn Cracknell, and Roger Bentley. Check Your library.

Answer 2

actually, at the botanical gardens I work in, we do almost all of our pruning in the winter. The reasons bering:
-pathogens usually aren't active in cold weather, so you avoid spreading them
-you can get a better view of the plant when the leaves are off
-if you prune in the winter, you're doing it when the plant is dormant - it doesn't recognize the loss. If you prune in the summer, you're removing something that the plant has already put a lot of energy into producing leaves for, thereby reducing the plants overall vigour.

That being said, for spring flowering plants like forsythia and the others mentioned, yes, it's best to prune after bloom.

Answer 3

No, it doesn't hurt to cut limbs off shrubs/trees if you MUST in the winter, but it's not the recommended season for pruning as no sap is moving so the tree can't start to heal itself until spring. As the others have said, be wary of trimming spring-blooming plants that bloom on old wood, as you'll be cutting off blossoms. However, that should be the only thing you lose if you must prune.

Answer 4

You should not prune any spring-blooming bush in the winter, like forsythia, or bridal wreath spirea, or quince, as they form their buds in the fall and you will cut off the blooms. If it blooms on new wood, like some hydrangeas, you will also lose your bloom. Most summer blooming shrubs can safely be pruned in the winter. If you are just talking about a few branches, no, it won't hurt.

Answer 5

Not at all. In fact, it helps them. We just recently cut a lilac bush and a forsythia down to about 1' off the ground. That helps them grow back healthier in the spring. They may not bloom as well the first year, but they'll be much better the year after that.