is it too late right now (June 27) to prune a lilac tree or a hemlock tree. My hemlock tree is dead on the bottom but has branches growing up on the top. someone told me to cut the whole thing down and it would fill in on the bottom better.
You can prune your lilac now without any problems. The best time to prune a lilac is right after the flowers have finished. Lilacs form buds this summer that winter over and open in spring. Be aware that new growth that occurs near the pruned areas might not have time to form buds so there might not be flowers on those branches next spring. To prevent shocking the plant, don’t remove more than 1/3 pf the total branch structure. Likewise the hemlock can be pruned lightly now without problems. It is normal on most evergrees that the lower branches turn brown as the upper part of the plant fills in. As the upper part fills in it block sunlight from reaching the lower branches. Again, don’t remove more than 1/3 of the foliage to avoid shocking the plant.