When the leaves have fallen it’s easier to see a plants framework and carry out renovation pruning to encourage growth and prevent the spread of disease. 

Prune dormant trees encourages growth in the spring. However, pruning in early spring makes it easier to identify (and remove) the branches that did not survive the winter. This is a good time to prune a large fruit tree if you want to make it more compact.

In spring lightly prune the whole shrub to encourage buds to break further down the stems. Remove old flowers (deadhead) and take out stems and branches to improve congestion and balance the plant.