Time for a quick trim!
Want to turn that unkempt plot into a beauty? You need to bring out the secateurs...
WHEN I was in my early 20s, I worked as a jobbing gardener at weekends to supplement my modest income at a wholesale plant nursery. I tackled gardens in varying conditions but nothing gave me greater pleasure than to take on a neglected plot that called for me to go in armed to the teeth with pruning tools.
Brandishing secateurs, loppers and a pruning saw, and wearing my best winter woollies to keep warm, I would set about cutting back roses, thinning out shrubs and removing tree branches. After a few hours of trimming, cutting and sawing, an unkempt plot would be left in a much-improved state.
Apart from being oddly satisfying, pruning is good for plants. If left to their own devices, many will become large and congested, leading to them outgrowing their allotted space, casting shade and becoming shy to flower. And plants given free rein tend to be more vulnerable to pests and diseases.
Winter is the best time to prune all sorts of hardy plants. Among them are deciduous shrubs, climbing roses, tall bush roses and several climbers, including wisteria, Hydrangea anomala subs pp e ti olari sand Virginia creep er. Branches can also be removed
Wisteria needs precise pruning to ensure a great spring display
from many trees to improve their health and shape.
Ignore evergreen shrubs for the time being as winter pruning can damage stems and foliage, especially in frosty weather. They are best tackled in mid-spring to give new growth that appears as a result of pruning a chance to ripen before winter – those that bloom in spring can be left until the show is over.
Before pruning anything, make sure you have the right tools. Secateurs are great for cutting shoots up to pencil thickness, while loppers are useful for those that are slightly thicker or harder to reach. A hand-held pruning saw or traditional bow saw will make light work of much chunkier branches.
Spiraea, philadelphus, weigela and a host of other deciduous shrubs form the backbone of our gardens but their attractive appearance will soon be lost unless they are given some attention.
Restoring their shape is easy at this time of the year as you can see what you are doing without any leaves getting in the way. Start by removing dead, diseased or damaged growth to prevent infection spreading to healthy parts of the plant. Next, snip off thin, wispy shoots, trim back way ward branches and cut out any crossing shoots. Finish by taking out a few of the older stems from the centre to improve air and light flow.
Three pruning cuts are required to successfully remove a branch that ruins the symmetry of a tree. First saw halfway through from underneath the branch, 18in from the trunk. Then saw all the way through from the top, 1in further along from the undercut. End by cutting back the stub close, but not flush, to the trunk.
Very tall bush roses are prone to being rocked by strong winds, leading to a gap opening up around the base of plants that will act as an entry point for frost.
Eliminate the risk by reducing the height of plants by about a half. Prune stems again in the spring to within 3 in of the previous year’s growth.
Tidy up climbing roses before winter winds give them a battering. Start by removing damaged branches and then tie in new shoots to fill gaps against supports. Trim back side-shoots that bore flowers in the summer by two-thirds.
If the plant is heavily congested, cut out any really old branches to promote new growth.
Some cl i mbers are rampant beasts that have a habit of taking over, so cut back to prevent them getting into gutters or blocking light from windows.
Wisteria needs precise pruning to ensure a great floral display in late spring – snip back all sideshoots to leave two to three buds on each.
Instead of burning or binning pruning waste, cut up twigs and thin stems with secateurs. Add to a compost bin, forking it in well to help it rot down.
Larger branches are best fed through a shredder to generate a finely milled material that can be composted or used to mulch beds and borders.