Pruning 101

Anyone caring for a garden or even a few plants will sooner or later be faced with the question: Am I supposed to prune this plant? Pruning can feel mysterious and daunting, but with a few basic concepts and guidelines in hand, anyone can improve their skill. Join us for an overview of pruning basics and examples of common pruning tasks.

UC Master Gardener Presenters
Kathy Ryan: Kathy is a 2024 graduate of the UC Master Gardener program. She is the green steward for an “unaccepted street” in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood, where the emphasis is on sustainable gardening - supporting soil, invertebrates, birds and other creatures. She enjoys helping to provide a beautiful space for neighbors and visitors to enjoy nature in an urban setting. Kathy has been using worms for vermicomposting for over 40 years and loves learning everything she can about habitat restoration and California native plants.
Shilpa Thanawala: Shilpa is a San Carlos-based UC Master Gardener and experienced garden educator. She runs a leadership coaching practice and also serves as a grants manager for Planet Bee Foundation. Her small home garden contains more than 30 varieties of fruit trees, canes and shrubs, a large herb garden, and a growing number of California native and pollinator plants. She teaches workshops on pruning, planting for pollinators, climate change and soil health.

Registration is not required, but is recommended.

Photo credit: Janet Gilmore, UC Master Gardener