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A general rule of thumb is to prune plants after their flowering period. But, within that rule are some important details to follow:
While the plant is still dormant, internal decisions are made about where to send the sap for best growth, and when possible, plants should be pruned when dormant. However, for spring blooming plants, pruning during dormancy will remove flowering/fruiting shoots and that is not what you want. Spring bloomers should be pruned after the flowers fade.
For other plants, a few words about when NOT to prune.
Never prune shrubs and trees when they are in the process of leafing out. Pruning when the leaves are coming out wastes the energy of the plant.
Pruning when leaves are falling confuses the plant so it thinks it must be spring and starts trying to grow again and can cause damage to the plant if the new growth fails to harden off before a hard frost hits.
Some tips on how to prune:
Prune a few of the oldest canes from all mature shrubs down to the ground.
Trim deciduous hedges wider at the base, narrower at the top.
From dormant fruit trees - remove weak, broken and crowded branches.
In spring, prune evergreens of winter damaged wood and discolored foliage.
Avoid pruning frozen wood.
When doing Spring or Summer Pruning tip pruning can help in getting a well branched plant.
Pruning of Volunteers or suckering helps keep the plant's energy into growing in the desired form.
If using ladder to prune taller plant material, always have a helper to hold the ladder.
Using sharp pruners protects against tearing or damage to the branches of the plant.
