Pruning

Pruning is undertaken to control growth, define shape, create flowering/fruiting branches for the following season, improve air circulation and therefore reduce the chance of infection in fruit trees and probably most importantly to remove dead, damaged or diseased areas of a plant.

Prune deciduous shrubs when they are dormant in the winter and evergreen shrubs in spring, but the best rule of thumb is to prune shrubs just after they have finished flowering.

When pruning trees, paint any new cuts with ArborexTM, it reduces the chance of infection and insect attack, particularly with fruit trees. Although there is some debate, whether painting the wounds can actually trap disease between the paint and the cut.


Plant What to do When
Box Shape Box hedging in the spring. Water the plant first to prevent sap sticking to the shears. Spring
Clematis (spring flowering incl. alpina and macropetala) They flower on last year's growth, but they can get a bit boisterous so tidy up after flowering, rather than extensive pruning. Late spring
Dogwood (Cornus) hazel (Corylus) and willow (Salix) They respond really well to coppicing. Remove all the growth above a couple of inches from the ground in Nov/Dec. In the spring you'll have lots of fresh vigorous growth. The following winter you'll have multiple stem growth with some lovely winter colours. Otherwise cut back to restrict height and width of growth. Winter
Fuchsias Prune hardy fuchsias hard in early spring. New shoots appear at the base of the plant. Early spring
Heather Prune to the base of a flowering stem. Spring
Hydrangea (mophead and lacecap) They don't require pruning, but may need to be tidied up, or their size reduced and or restricted.

Mophead hydrangeas produce flowers from buds that formed in the previous summer. The old flower heads give frost protection to these new buds, so the plant shouldn't be pruned until all danger of frost has passed, typically this is mid to late May. Cut growth back to just above a pair of buds.

Lacecaps are hardier, so can be pruned after flowering, in the autumn.

 May
Magnolia Magnolia's don't like being pruned. Where branches are removed, you tend to either get dieback or lots of new shoots growing. However dead or diseased branches should be removed or if the tree looks unbalanced. The best time to do this is in July to August. Mid summer
Oranmental grasses Don't cut back, wait until spring then remove any dead growth. Spring
Philadelphus (mock orange) After flowering, cut back the stems that have produced flowers, cut these back to new growth lower down. Overgrown philadelphus should have a third of the shrub cut down to just above ground level in spring, repeat this over the following two years. Late spring
Rose - miniature Only remove dead and or diseased growth, trim to shape and deadhead. Use scissors, as using your hand or secateurs may damage the plant. Don't prune

Fruit Name What to do When
Apple and pear Remove suckers growing around the base of apple and pear trees. These are from the rootstock the apple or pear trees are grafted onto, sending up new shoots. January
Apricot They require very little pruning. Remove dead, damaged and diseased branches in the spring and thin and train branches in the summer. Mid summer
Blackberry Blackberries fruit on last seasons growth prune out fruiting branches after fruit has been picked, leaving the 6 strongest young branches. September
Blackcurrant Blackcurrants fruit on last seasons growth prune out fruiting branches after fruit has been picked, leaving the strongest young growth. September
Damson Pruning won't improve the crop. If you have branches that are in the way of other plants or give the tree an unbalanced look, remove them, but otherwise just remove dead or diseased branches. Pruning is best left until late June or July to reduce the chance of excessive 'bleeding'. Mid summer
Fig (Ficus carica) Prune trees in April just before they start to start growing. Remove dead, diseased and crossing branches. Also prune as hard as necessary to restrict size, but bear in mind that the 'fruit' forms in the previous year on that seasons growth, so don't remove branches that have these small fruit. With fan-trained plants remove a quarter of all stems, back to a couple of inches of the main trunk, also removing all branches that are growing away from the wall or fence. April
Grape vine Prune grape vines in December. Cut back last year's growth to one or two buds. This encourages new shoots which will bear the next season's fruit.
The old dead bark on the trunk should be gently scraped back to removing hiding places for any pests, such as mealybug and fungal spores.

Note: Pruning a vine at other times can lead to severe bleeding of the plant.

 December
Passion flower Passion flower should be pruned in the spring. Spring
Raspberry Summer fruiting raspberries bear fruit from one year old growth. In mid-autumn prune the old branches that have rne fruit this season, almost to ground level (4' / 10c.
In mid-summer prune out younger shoots to leave 5' space between them.
Autumn fruiting Raspberries fruit from current season's growth. Cut all canes (including newly planted raspberries) almost to ground level (4' / 10cm) in March.
Remove broken or damaged autumn fruiting raspberry canes in October.		 September
Redcurrant Redcurrants fruit on old wood, pruning should be limited to thinning out and the removal of weaker branches. September