Plan your four seasons of pruning
Good timing is the key to good pruning, and for this you need to know how plants grow, what the stages of growth look like, and when they flower and fruit.
Spring
New growth on deciduous shrubs is usually pliable and green or pale in colour. Spring is the season when growth tends to be at its most vigorous.
Why prune in spring?
It channels sap flow and growth into fewer buds and stems. It also opens up the centre of plants to allow better air circulation, which deters pests and diseases in summer. Pruning cuts tend to heal more rapidly when plants are growing strongly.
State of growth
Summer-floweringshrubs: buddleia, perovskia, spiraea and fuchsias, in early spring before growth starts. Winter- and springflowering shrubs: Viburnum bodnantense, winter honeysuckle, forsythia and weigela, after flowering. Frost-tender shrubs: abutilons, acacia and others, in mid- to latespring, after final frost. Evergreen shrubs and
conifers: after the risk of frost has passed to avoid frost damage to new shoots.
What to prune