I have a purpleleaf plum (does not produce fruit) and it is starting to bud – it has the tiny purple “grapes” all over. I knew I had to wait till the coldest part of winter was over (I’m in east TN), and we have two more cold nights coming – in the 20s, daytime 40s. Since the buds are not flowering yet, can I prune the tree now? (Not drastically, just thin it a little).

Answer:
I actually had this same quetion, based on my reseach, mainly talking to a horticulturist… Best time to prune = after bloom BUT you can easily prune at any time to thin the plant out (except fall…so growth hardens off). Pruning while there aren’t leaves on the plant will allow you to see the branching structure…making it easier to prune the “not needed” branches.

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