Pruning
/PROO-ning/🧑🌾 Cultivation● Basic
Also known as: trimming, cutting back
The horticultural practice of selectively cutting away branches, stems, buds, or roots. Pruning serves multiple purposes: removing dead or diseased wood, improving structure and form, promoting flowering or fruiting, controlling size, and increasing light penetration. Proper pruning technique, timing, and tool selection vary by species. Poor pruning (topping, flush cuts, lion-tailing) can severely damage trees.
Etymology
Old French proignier (to prune, clip)
Example
“Most deciduous fruit trees benefit from annual pruning in late winter while still dormant.”