By the way, I live in LA.

Can I have this tree Pruned topped in zone 7 now.

Although it may be cold and snowy outside, winter is actually the best time of year to prune your deciduous plants. Wait for a relatively mild, sunny day, get out your pruners, and take a critical look at your trees and shrubs. According to the supervisor of plant health care at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 90 percent of deciduous pruning can be done in the winter.

Apr 23, Clip summer flowering plants in winter or early spring. Trim nonflowering plants after new growth has completely formed. You can do light trimming throughout the year. For more information about how to prune roses and other flowering shrubs, read. Prune apple trees, including flowering crabapples, mountain ash, hawthorns and shrub cotoneasters in late winter (February-early April). Spring or summer pruning increases the chances for infection and spread of the bacterial disease fireblight.

Autumn or early winter pruning is more likely to result in drying and die-back at pruning sites. Jan 14, That new growth will be highly susceptible to freezing weather should it come on the heals of a warm spell.

New growth will also tend to draw the cold right into the plant, causing needless damage to a tree that should be resting in dormancy. So, the best time to trim crapes in is late winter - just prior to new growth emerging.

How and When to Trim Your Bushes: 1. Pick the Right Time of Year. There is a dispute amongst gardeners as to when is the best time of year to prune your shrubbery.

Some say that fall is the way to go while others say spring. In my own experience, I prune in the spring. My reasoning is that it is easier for me to see what is going on with my plants.