Hard pruning and regular pruning

I think i know, but i am not completely sure, so i will just ask.
What is the difference between pruning and hard pruning (when regular pruning becomes hard pruning), and when is the moment when new flush hardens off (‘Allow the initial Spring flush of growth to fully extend and harden off’).
Thanks!

As far as I know, a hard prune is when you take off a significant branch closer to the trunk. A regular prune is a trim for tips. In other words, it’s the difference between going to the salon for a light trim, or going for a completely new hairstyle.

Hardening off: when leaves first emerge they generally come out light green. Sometimes it’s a different color based on the species but it’s generally lighter than the normal foliage color. And the leaves look very fragile and thin. Eventually they will darken and get a waxy coating or cuticle on them and start to look a bit hardier. When that happens, that flush of growth has “hardened off”

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Thanks! Does it count for hard pruning if you cut off some thin branch directly from the trunk?

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I think it’s somewhat of an arbitrary designation, but I think scale is also important. A small branch or sucker or whatever right off the trunk probably doesn’t count as a hard prune.

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