Aleppo pine: when and how to prune

Aleppo pine: when to prune it?

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Little needed. Shape it in May by shortening the young shoots; cut out frost damage in June.

What else to prune in those months? May · June

Aleppo pine: how to prune it?

1. In May, shorten the new candles by half if you want a more compact tree.
2. Saw off dead, broken or frozen branches back to healthy wood, just outside the branch collar.
3. After a severe winter, wait until June before cutting out frost damage: by then you can see what is regrowing.
4. Feel free to leave its natural, slightly leaning shape: that is exactly its charm.

How much to cut, and how often?

• One pruning period a year: May–June.
• Never remove more than about a quarter of the crown at once. Better a little every year.

What does it mean for wildlife?

• Pruning in May–June can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
• Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.

Common mistakes

• Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
• Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.

Nearby: related pruning guides

• Black pine
• Canary Island pine
• Monterey pine
• Scots pine
• Weymouth pine
• Almond tree

Plant profile: Aleppo pine · Pruning calendar and basic rules