What to cho To prune or not to prune? Our guide will give you the answer
Do you find it hard not to be ‘snip-happy’ in the garden and start cutting back everything in sight at this time of year? Or do you err on the side of caution and leave plants unpruned in case cutting them back does them harm? The best approach is probably somewhere in the middle. Here are some plants that can be pruned in winter.
Now’s the time to give wisteria a light trim to encourage the best possible display of flowers this year. Cut back the stems that were made last year, cutting them back to two or three buds from where they started. This helps to make sure the flowers can be seen in all their glory this year and aren’t hidden by lots of leaves.
■ Lots of the stems that you cut off your plants have other uses in the garden. Where possible, it’s a good idea to cut stems back in one go rather than li le by li le because long lengths of pruned stems can make very useful plant supports later in the year for peas and French beans. Very thick stems of hedgerow plants, such as hazel or hawthorn, could be used for runner beans and add a nice ‘rustic’ touch to the garden in summer.
■ stems and if you have a good wheelbarrow-full they make a great base for starting a new compost heap, allowing air to flow and speeding up the composting process.
■ Rose prunings laid over areas of bare soil will help keep cats at bay. They’re a racted to bare soil like a magnet in my garden!
■ Gatherings of stems placed on the ground in a sheltered corner of the garden with piles of old leaves will also encourage wildlife. In a damp corner of the garden it will provide shelter for frogs and toads and potentially hedgehogs next winter, too.