"When should I prune?" is the question we field most. The answer depends on species. Pruning at the wrong time can mean bleed, dieback, disease entry, missed flowering or just wasted work. Here's the New Zealand calendar we use.
Quick rules
- Most amenity trees: late autumn to early spring (May–September). Trees are dormant or pre-flush, cuts seal cleanly, and you can see structure clearly.
- Spring-flowering ornamentals: immediately after flowering finishes, so you don't lose next year's buds.
- Stone fruit (plums, cherries, apricots): summer only, autumn/winter cuts invite silverleaf.
- Bleeders (maples, birches, walnuts): mid-summer, when sap pressure is low.
- Hedges: twice a year minimum for sharp lines, late spring + late summer.
By species
Pohutukawa & rata
Light shaping anytime, but avoid the November–January flowering window. Major reduction work best done late autumn (April–May). Read our dedicated pohutukawa pruning guide.
Totara, rimu, miro, kahikatea
NZ podocarps are slow-growing and don't enjoy heavy pruning. Light deadwooding anytime; structural work in late autumn or winter (May–July). Avoid hard reductions, recovery is slow and often poor.
Kowhai, lemonwood (tarata), kanuka, manuka
Prune lightly after flowering. Avoid heavy cuts, these species don't reshoot well from old wood.
Griselinia (broadleaf)
The workhorse NZ hedge plant. Cut twice a year: late spring (Nov) and late summer (Feb–Mar). Will reshoot from old wood, so reduction jobs are possible, but stage them.
Oak, plane, elm, beech
Classic winter pruning species, June through August. Cuts seal cleanly, structure is visible, and you avoid summer drought stress.
Maple, birch, walnut
The bleeders. Prune mid-summer (January–February) when sap pressure is low. Winter pruning causes heavy sap bleed which, while rarely fatal, looks bad and stresses the tree.
Magnolia, cherry blossom, dogwood (spring-flowering ornamentals)
Immediately after flowering, usually October. Pruning later will cut off next year's flower buds.
Camellia
After flowering (late winter to early spring depending on variety). Light shaping only, camellias don't appreciate hard pruning.
Apple & pear
Winter (June–August) for structural pruning. Summer pruning (December) for size control and fruit quality.
Plum, cherry, apricot, peach (stone fruit)
Summer pruning ONLY, December through February, after harvest. Winter cuts invite silverleaf fungus.
Citrus
Light shaping in late winter or after the main harvest. Skirts up for airflow, deadwood out. Avoid hard pruning, citrus don't recover well from drastic reductions.
Feijoa
After harvest, mid-summer. Open the canopy to let light in for next year's flowers.
Olive
Late winter to early spring (Aug–Sept), before flowering. Open the centre for airflow.
Macrocarpa, cypress hedges
Light maintenance twice yearly. Don't cut back into brown wood: most conifers won't reshoot. If you're behind, accept that the new face will be hard-coloured only.
Eucalyptus (gums)
Any time outside drought periods, but autumn–winter is gentler. Gums tolerate hard pruning but produce vigorous regrowth, plan for it.
Poplar, willow
Late winter (July–August). Both species pollard well, useful for size control.
Liquidambar, ginkgo, tulip tree
Late autumn or winter. Mature trees often need very little structural work, a light deadwood-and-tidy every 5 years.
What about hedges?
See our hedge trimming service page and our piece on the best hedging species for NZ for species-specific schedules.
Bird nesting season
NZ native birds typically nest September through January. If your hedge or tree is known to host nesting birds, avoid significant pruning during that window, it's good practice and, in some council areas with protected species, may be a regulatory requirement.