Summarize the following:
Hibiscus plants grow with terminal flowers; this means that each flower on a hibiscus plant grows at the end of a branch. Pruning a healthy hibiscus bush will encourage growth and tell the plant to grow more branches, thus producing more flowers. You can also prune a damaged or dying tree to prevent future decay and to promote new, healthy growth. Pruning must be timed to line up with the natural growth patterns of the hibiscus plant. You should never prune hibiscus in the late fall or winter, as this will prevent new growth in the Spring. Exact times will vary depending on your location, but generally full/major prunes should be done in the early spring, with minor pruning done up till the beginning of fall around September. If you keep your hibiscus plants inside during the winter, wait until you move them outside to prune. To do damage-free pruning, you'll need to get a very sharp knife, a pair of sharp gardening shears, a pair of sharp lopping shears, and a hand saw for anything too big to be cut with your smaller tools. Sterilize all tools before starting and between pruning each plant, to prevent the spread of disease. You can sterilize with rubbing alcohol, hand sterilizer, or horticultural disinfectant. Your tools must absolutely be sharp; a dull knife, shears, or saw will cause more harm than good if you try to prune with them. Take the time to sharpen your tools, or buy new ones if yours are too old. Keeping in mind that the location you prune is the location of new growth, you always want to prune your hibiscus on branches facing outwards. You'll make all cuts ¼-inch from the top of a node (the location of a leaf/twig) at an upwards 45-degree angle. The lower end of each cut should be near the center of the bush, while the higher end of the cut should be nearer to the outside of the bush. This helps water run off the cut surface instead of pooling, which reduces the risk of infection. Although the amount of the plant that you prune will vary from situation to situation, the general rule is that you should never cut more than ⅔ of any one branch off. Cutting off too much of the plant is no longer considered pruning, but simply damaging the hibiscus.
Know why you prune. Learn when to prune. Sterilize your pruning tools. Know where to prune. Know how much to remove.