Scots pine: when and how to prune

Scots pine: when to prune it?

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Dead, diseased and broken branches can be removed at any time of year. To keep a garden pine compact, pinch the new shoots (‘candles’) back by half in May–June.

What else to prune in those months? May · June

Scots pine: how to prune it?

1. Pinch or cut the candles in May–June, once they have extended but before the needles have spread out: the pine then branches more densely.
2. Never cut a pine back into bare branches: no new buds will form there.
3. On a forest tree the lower branches die off on their own; saw them off cleanly, just outside the branch collar.

How much to cut, and how often?

• One pruning period a year: May–June.
• Grows best when left alone. Only remove dead, diseased or awkward branches.
• Most conifers do not regrow from old, bare wood. So never cut back into the brown part (exception: yew).

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.
• Host plant: caterpillars of butterflies or moths eat the leaves.
• As a native plant, it feeds more insects than a non-native species.
• 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.
• Cutting back into bare brown wood: it will not regrow from there.
• Pruning too much: it grows best when left alone.
• Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.

Nearby: related pruning guides

• Black pine
• Weymouth pine
• Leyland cypress
• Thuja
• Colorado blue spruce
• Giant redwood

Similar to: Difference from black pine

Plant profile: Scots pine · Pruning calendar and basic rules