| i agree ... but for a neophyte... learning how to prune when there are no leaves.. really helps... if you go out there right now.. and look at the monstrosity .. you will see varying widths of branches... shrub pruning involves removing up to the largest 1/3 of the canes ... as close the ground as possible ... and doing it for 3 years.. until the plant is renovated ... or like i like to say.. beating it back with a stick ... this methods leaves older branches for bloom.. while removing old and large .... at a minimum.. go look at it when it is bare.. and see if you can see what i am talking about.. you NEVER .... trim a shrub at length ... on the other hand.. purple leaf plum is a tree... and these rules do not apply .... unless you are confusing a sand cherry SHRUB with a plum tree ... prune a tree when it needs pruning.. IMHO .... subject on the plum to canker rules .... which a plum will die of.. sooner or later .... in my entire life in MI.. i have NEVER seen a plum without canker ... i dont know what a silver leaf is... ken | 
