Please choose the correct ending to complete the given sentence: Home and Garden: [header] How to prune conifers [title] Prune conifers in late winter or early spring. [step] In general, conifers should be pruned in late winter or early spring to encourage lush, healthy new branches and foliage in the spring. There is also less risk of fungal infections at this time of the year because the bark is more easily damaged while the trees are growing.

Ending1: [title] Avoid pruning conifers in autumn, after they are dormant. [step] During the winter, conifers should be pruned using a tool like a chainsaw. Ending2: [substeps] In this case, pruning before winter actually causes new growth to form, rather than a regrowth cycle to continue. [title] Trim conifers based on their size. Ending3: In mature trees, leafy canopy growth will generally increase about ,. A large number of young conifers will require pruning approximately the same time as their younger cousins. Ending4: [title] Choose sharp, correctly-sized tools. [step] The tools used for pruning conifers should always be sharp, as this is safer and more effective.

Answer format: ending1/ending2/ending3/ending4