Spring growth: when to wire, when to wait

Spring growth is the season of two speeds. Deciduous branches thicken fast enough that wire applied in April can be biting in by June — check weekly, not monthly, once the leaves are out. Conifers move slower and hold a bend longer, so their spring wire has more patience in it. Either way, this is not the season for defoliation or a hard prune: the tree needs its first flush to build the season's energy before anything is taken away. Save the scissors for pinching soft tips back to shape, and let the rest run.