Gardner’s Guide to Pruning Plants
Contents
- Pruning Tools
- Trees and Shrubs
- Climbing and Wall plants
- Roses – climbing roses
- Roses – rambling roses
- Roses – bush roses
- Roses – miniature and patio roses
- Roses – hybrid musk roses
- Hedges
- Hedges – fruit
- Hedges – apples and pears
The majority of trees and shrubs benefit from a certain amount of early training, much of which, depending upon size, they will have received in our garden centres. Some plants require only gentle guidance and the removal of poorly placed, weak or dead shoots for them to develop naturally into well shaped specimens, whilst for others an annual pruning regime is recommended.
Pruning Tools
There is an assortment of secateurs loppers and saws on the market these days, all with their own attributes. In all cases, the maintenance of good quality tools is important, as is using the right sized tool for the job.
If in doubt as to which tool to use, please ask our garden centre staff for guidance.
Trees and Shrubs
The text has indicated a pruning recommendation by way of the secateur symbol and a number. This recommendation is for an annual pruning from which many shrubs benefit, which is aimed at:
- Keeping the plants healthy and vigorous,
- Maintaining the shape and balance,
- Ensuring the maximum amount of flowering wood is produced.
A pruning code denoted by 1, 2, etc. has been given to every shrub except where specific instructions have been shown.
- This applies mainly to evergreens. No pruning is required apart from light shaping and the removal of dead or diseased wood, also of wood damaged by frost. This can be done as soon as it is noticed. Shaping is best done in the late spring, or in August but no later, otherwise the young growth will not ripen before winter
- This group flowers in spring on old wood produced the previous season, so prune after flowering. Remove all wood which has borne flowers, retaining much of the young wood which will ripen later and produce flowers the following year.
- This group flowers in early summer on both old and young wood, so prune after flowering. Each year, remove completely one or two old stems, easily identified by their greyish bark from the brown-barked young wood. Also cut back younger flowering shoots to fresh growths on the main branches. Thin crowded shoots and remove weak twigs.
- This group flowers in summer or autumn on wood produced in the current season. In early spring, cut back to within two or three buds of the old wood. Also in this group are shrubs grown for winter interest of the coloured stems. The best colour is on the young wood, so these should be hard pruned in spring every year or every second year.
Climbing and Wall Plants
When considering the pruning of the many plants that can be grown in these positions, it is important to bear in mind the growth habits of the plants. In general the principle of removal of dead, diseased and damaged wood should be adhered to, followed by seasonal pruning dependent on flowering time, as above.
Pruning: clematis either flower on the previous season’s ripened stems, or on stems produced during the current flowering season. The date when the clematis starts to flower is the all-important point, and pruning requirements then become self-explanatory. Either the old stems are left on the plants to obtain early flowers, or the old growth from the previous year is removed, making way for the new growth on which the flowers will be borne.
N.B.
All newly-planted clematis should be pruned back to a healthy pair of buds about 30cm from ground level in the first early spring (Feb/March). Tie the remaining stem to a cane leaning towards the subject to be covered.
For more specific advice three groups have been shown by numbers on the left.
Group 1: Produce their flowers on short flower stalks directly from a leaf axil bud, generally on stems produced the previous season, which ripened by the early autumn. Therefore pruning must not be carried out until all flowering is over.
In the early spring of the second year after planting, cut back all stems to 1 metre from ground level.
In subsequent years, remove all dead and weak stems immediately after flowering. Established plants that are 5 metres or more in height are not normally pruned.
Group 2: Flower on the old or previous season’s stems.
In the second early spring after planting cut back to within 1 metre of ground level.
In subsequent years, remove all dead and weak stems and shorten remainder by 15 25cm, to where a strong pair of leaf axil buds are apparent. Remove all old leaf stalks.
Group 3: Flower on new stems each year, and in most cases each stem produces several flowers. The previous season’s top growth becomes useless and dies away naturally each winter (except if very mild). Therefore all previous season’s top growth must be removed to allow the current season’s stems room to grow to maturity. Prune late Feb/early March, depending on weather conditions. Remove all old top growth down to where the strong new leaf axil buds appear at a point just above the base of the previous season’s stems, approximately within 75cm of soil level.
Roses
Recently the myth of exact rose pruning to produce a floriferous plant has been shattered; it is possible to prune roses with a hedge trimmer, but this does lead to a build up of dead wood. The conventional pruning philosophy is listed below.
Climbing roses
Pruning: First year – the strong shoots will have been pruned in the nursery. Cut back any weak shoots to 2 3 eyes from their base. Subsequently prune back shoots which have flowered to 4 eyes in autumn or spring. Also prune out very old or very weak shoots and tie in new growths. Horizontally trained shoots produce more sub-laterals and therefore more flowers than shoots growing upright.
Rambling roses
Prune immediately after flowering. Remove dead, diseased or old wood. Tie in shoots of one or two years’ growth. In March, cut newly planted roses to within 5 or 6 eyes from the base.
Bush roses
In March prune all newly planted bushes to within 15cm of the union, cutting to an outward pointing bud. In subsequent seasons (March/early April), remove dead, diseased or weak shoots entirely.
Large-flowered (hybrid tea) roses are best shortened to three to five eyes from the base of the previous season’s wood. As before, cuts should be made to an outward pointing eye to encourage a shapely habit. Very vigorous roses such as ‘peace’ should be pruned lightly.
Cluster-flowered (floribunda) roses need dead, diseased and weak shoots removed entirely in March/early April. Otherwise lighter pruning is adequate, together with regular “dead heading” in summer. In the third and subsequent years all old wood should be pruned hard in March and early April.
Miniature and patio roses
Prune only by removing the old flower trusses.
Hybrid musk roses
Pruning: Remove flowering twigs as soon as flowers fade; in February cut back all short side shoots to three buds, also remove any old or diseased wood. To keep the bushes shapely, up to a third of long basal shoots which have flowered the previous autumn can be removed. If left unpruned, bushes make dense growth.
Hedges
The first principle is to form a close, dense base and it is a mistake to allow hedges to increase too rapidly in height. During the formative years, three or four clippings annually will be necessary; mature hedges will need clipping only once or twice. Commence the trimming of closely clipped yew, holly, privet and quickthorn and similar hedges in June, repeat two or three times at six week intervals. Beech and hornbeam should be trimmed in August. Where only one annual clipping of mature hedges is necessary, do this in August.
Fruit
Successful fruit production is very dependent upon employing the correct method of pruning at the right time.
Full details of pruning the various types of fruit offered is beyond the scope of this article, only basic guidance for apples and pears is included.
Apples and Pears
Thinning.
This results in better quality and better shaped fruits and also reduces the biennial bearing tendency of some varieties. The natural shedding of fruitlets in late June/early July is called ‘june drop’ and thinning should be deferred until this is over. Thin the better quality dessert, and all culinary apples and also pears to 10 15cm apart for best results. With cordons (put hyperlink in), etc., thinning is rarely necessary. Remove blemished and misshapen fruit. If there is a choice, remove the ‘king’ fruit, i.e., the central one in a cluster.
Winter Pruning.
This should be completed by late February. Half standards: thin out crossing, unwanted, dead or diseased branches, making a clean cut immediately above a bud pointing in the direction you need the new shoot. Bushes, cordons, espaliers: shorten lateral growths to the 3rd or 4th bud from the base of the previous season’s wood. Shorten leaders by a third of their length. Overcrowded spurs must be thinned.
Summer Pruning.
This is not essential for Half standard trees, but is advisable for bushes, cordons and espaliers. The current season’s growth should be cut back above the 6th leaf from the base, not counting the cluster of leaves at the base of the shoot.