SPRING PRUNING

Deciduous shrubs which bloom from July to October usually produce flowers at the end of the current season’s growth, and these plants can be pruned in early spring. To do this, the stems on which the shrub flowered the previous year are pruned back to within one or two buds of the plant’s older stems. Cutting back this early will ensure there is still sufficient time for the plant to put on the new growth required in anticipation of its flowering season later in the year. Plants which are suitable for early spring pruning include the butterfly bush, Buddleja davidii, hardy fuchsias, Spiraea japonica, caryopteris and hibiscus.