It's winter. Skeletons of shrubs and trees frame the garden as they sketch stark outlines against grey skies. Now we can view the structure of deciduous plants without their clothing of summer leaves - so take the plunge, with our help, and carry out some winter pruning of deciduous shrubs, fruit trees and bushes!

'Pruning' is a word used to describe the removal of part of a plant, in order to encourage it to grow, fruit or flower, and to control its shape and size.

'Formative pruning' is carried out during the dormant season, for the first 2-3 years after planting, so that a strong, well-spaced framework of branches can be established.

The aim is to produce the best possible crop or display, and also to maintain the health of the plant. Here's an interesting fact. Hard pruning promotes more vigorous growth than light pruning. If you have a lopsided shrub, with one side growing more strongly than the other, it's important to cut back the weaker side more than the stronger, to stimulate it to catch up!

Furthermore, the 'terminal' buds at the tip of stems (particularly on trees) have dominance over the 'lateral' buds further back. If the terminal buds are removed during pruning, the lateral buds will then grow more rapidly.

When pruning a stem, always use clean tools, and make a smooth, sloping cut across the stem, just above a bud, preferably an outward-facing one. This bud will then grow away to form a new shoot.

If you choose an inward facing bud, the stem will grow into the centre of the plant and cross over others. Crossed stems make an unsightly shape, and can cause problems from disease as a result of lack of light or air in the centre of the plant.

Don't paint the wounds, since this will seal in diseases which may already be within the plant. Instead, allow the bark to close over the wound naturally.

As a general rule, every cut should serve a particular purpose. Remember '3 D's': your first job is to remove all branches or stems which are damaged, diseased or dead. Cut back to healthy wood, if possible to just above a growth bud, as we've already said.

This applies to all trees, shrubs, climbers, and fruit bushes. Apple and pear trees are traditionally pruned in winter, when dormant. Be careful - very vigorous pruning causes the production of masses of strong, vertical shoots which are unlikely to flower or fruit. Too little pruning, however, results in overcrowded shoots which have insufficient light to produce a decent crop.

If you've inherited a tree which is over 30 years old and performs disappointingly, it's probably better to start again. Otherwise, aim to create an open, goblet shape by cutting out the main 'leader', or vertical stem, and encouraging the outward-facing side shoots to grow - horizontal branches will always fruit more copiously than upright ones.

Stems of currant bushes and gooseberries should be shortened by half, and autumn fruiting raspberries can be cut to ground level in February.

The shape of newly planted deciduous shrubs such as Philadelphus, Wiegela or Kerria can be corrected by cutting back all stems to about 15cm from ground level during the first winter. Many new shoots will result in the spring. From these, select 4-5 well-positioned ones to create an attractive shape.

Mature, overgrown specimens can also be renovated by cutting back hard in winter to the same height, again retaining only a few of the resultant new stems the following spring.

If the thought of being this brutal makes you feel anxious, carry the process out over 2 winters, removing half at a time - this will mean you still get some flowers each year!

Coppicing, or cutting back to ground level, of willow or dogwood shrubs in late winter results in a mass of coloured stems for the following winter display.

Young hawthorn, privet, snowberry and blackthorn hedging plants should be cut back to 15cm on planting to create a bushy network of stems at the base of the hedge.

Prune the stems of beech, hornbeam and hazel by a third. Repeat in the second year to encourage further thickening.

Treat your newly-pruned plants to a feed when spring arrives, and they'll repay you with their best performance yet!