Step-by-step trim guide 1. Look at the shrub. Notice its shape. Decide if you want it round, square, or natural. 2. Walk all the way around the shrub. Find any dead or broken branches. 3. Pick a dead branch. Cut it off near where it meets a bigger branch. Make the cut clean. 4. Remove only small branches first. Cut branches that are thinner than your thumb. Leave big branches for a bigger pruner 5. Step back and look every few cuts. This helps you see the shape. 6. Trim little by little. Cut a s

The basics of shrub pruning