I have a three year old Eastern Redbud that is about 10 ft high and spreading to 10 ft. I know it’s late, but what is the best way to prune the tree so that it keeps some shape.
Thank you in advance.
Hello and thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners.
The Eastern Red Bud (Cercis canadensis) is native to eastern North America so two thumbs up for planting a native tree!
I can give you two “quick” responses and then I highly recommend this excellent response from another Master Gardener, which you can read here.
The two quick “need to know” items are;
- never take off more than 30% of the entire tree or any branch that you wish to keep. (Clearly there may be some you wish to completely remove but that is detailed in the above response.)
- Also, as mentioned in the above reference, choose the timing of the pruning wisely. The good news is you aren’t late, you’re actually a bit early! This (mid-June) is not the time of year to be cutting anything off.
In your question you specifically asked “how to” prune the tree. To assist in this please read information on how to prune here.
Remember, shaping a tree takes time, and do not cut too much off at once.
To learn more about your Eastern Red Bud (Cercis canadensis) please visit this link.
You might also want to consider consulting an arborist who can give you pruning advice specific to your trees. Landscape Ontario has a list of arborists by area, or you can go to Find an Arborist.
I hope this helps!