Prune in late winter or early spring after the risk of frost has passed
Use clean, sharp pruning shears or loppers
Remove dead, damaged, or diseased branches first
Cut off any branches crossing or rubbing against each other
Remove suckers growing from the base or below the graft union
Thin out crowded inner growth to improve air circulation
Shorten overly long branches to maintain shape and size
Cut back water sprouts growing straight up from main branches
Make cuts just above an outward-facing bud or branch junction
Avoid removing more than one-third of the tree in a single season
Keep the center open and the canopy balanced
Remove any branches touching the ground
Disinfect tools between cuts if disease is present
Clean up and discard all trimmed material after pruning