Cutting now means you'll have lots of regrowth. In this tree, likely more than you want. But summer pruning removes branches as well as leaves producing sugars which will be stored if the leaves remain. So removing some wood in summer "sets the tree back" a bit in that it will have less stored sugars at the end of the season. I suggest you do minimal pruning now. But that you mark the branches you want to remove come summer. Then complete the removal -- max 20% live wood -- sometime between mid-July and mid-August.

Hello Holly. If those "small shoots" are what I think they are (vertical sprouts off horizontal branches?) then they can all come off at any time and should. There's no rule that will keep you from taking off any excess wood right now (although: be aware that if you have fireblight, which can happen on new growth and blooms, you need to take special precautions.) So remove that rampant growth, and any diseased or dead wood, and while you're at it take out branches that clog the center of the tree. When two branches cross and rub remove one. You should be able to do most of your work with nippers and loppers, and if you need the saw use it cautiously until you gain a little feel for what you're doing. Provide for air and light to all parts of the tree. Remove stuff that points straight down or straight up. Step back often while working and look at the tree. There's several people on this board that can give you more experienced answers, so be prepared to get other, better opinions. I write as a relative newbie but one with perhaps an insight to the challenges facing the less experienced, as I am one ... :-) Good luck, Mark

Thanks for the responses. How toxic is Immunox/myclobutanil? The warnings of course make it sound horrible and our water comes from a well not far off. Unfortunately, there will be no getting rid of the cedars, for family reasons. And while the area around the trees is mowed and underneath is kept mulched and weeded, the rest of the field (and the surrounding fields) are basically tall weedy grass that gets mowed once a year. That's not going anywhere either unless someone gives me a brush hog and a tractor to pull it with. I guess the best bet moving forward is to try to spray at the right time(s) in the future. I'll look into the suggested sprays for this year, though. Randy - My William's Pride isn't bearing yet (just put it in this year). I've had them from farm stands though and thought they were good enough to try planting. I don't have any tasting notes or anything, though :) Anyway, I hope they're good. Thanks again. Sam

Ken - thanks for the link. I wish the GW search had a date filter. I searched before I cut the first time, and when I searched again last week, seemed to be getting only the same (old) results. Maybe Zooba and I should have a "stumps to green" contest. :-) Zooba's at least have a certain architectural quality mine lack. I'll see what mine look like come next spring and replace if I need to replace.