Hi @rosey55,
The best time to prune is in late winter or early spring, before new growth starts. This helps the tree heal quickly and promotes healthy branching when it begins to grow again.
In saying this, you can still prune your Chinese elm now, just ensure you keep it to a light trim. By now, the tree will be actively growing, so it can recover from small cuts quite easily. Focus on tidying up the shape, removing any wayward, crossing, or overly long branches, and cutting off dead or damaged growth. This type of maintenance pruning won’t harm the tree and can actually help it stay healthy and well-shaped through summer.
However, avoid heavy or structural pruning. Large cuts can stress the tree while it’s using energy for new growth, and it may respond with excessive shoot growth that looks untidy. If your goal is to reshape or significantly reduce the tree’s size, it’s better to wait until next late winter or early spring.
For now, a light trim and some careful thinning are perfectly fine and will keep your Chinese elm looking neat and vigorous.
Check out How To Prune Trees for some further guidance.
Let me know if you have any further questions.
Jacob
