How to….Prune Shrubs The Right Way
Never really understood how to prune shrubs properly? Are you always wildly cutting the top of your shrubs? This National Gardening Week, we are here to help.
Below are a series of videos, as well as a blog, to help you make the most of your shrubs and keep them healthy. Remember, you can always ask us if you have any questions.
Why prune your shrubs?
Nigel’s top tips for pruning shrubs:
To keep the shrub neat, compact, healthy and encourage flowering wood or larger leaves.
REMEMBER: Pruning shrubs at the wrong time of the year can remove this year’s flowers!
It is always better to let most shrubs come into flower first and ONLY prune straight after flowering to prevent cutting off next year’s flowering shoots.
- Before pruning, look for the three d’s; dead, diseased and damaged old wood. These are the areas you will definitely need to cut back
- Next, make sure you are cutting from the base. The new growth always comes from the pruning cut, so make sure you take about a third of the old wood out – the flowers will then be at face height, where they can be appreciated
- Make sure you use the right tools to make your incisions, a pruning saw is ideal! Our team are well trained with these tools, so be very careful and follow all health and safety guidelines on the packet if you are using one
- If your shrub has knotted branches at the base, make the process a little easier for yourself by removing the majority of the wood first. Make an initial cut to get rid of the height and weight, then make a final cut closer to the base.
- If any branches have rubbed together and caused damage, make sure you cut them, making way for new, healthy growth
- Lastly, make sure you prune your shrub every couple of years to rejuvenate it and keep it looking at its best
Previous Episodes
- How to Care for Your Lawn
- How to Plant Plug Plants
- How to Sow Small Seeds
- How to….Take Dahlia Cuttings
- How to….Prepare Bulbs For Next Year