Pruning

Hello all today we're going to look at the dos and donts of pruning. When, where, how, why and why the hell not! Pruning causes stress to a plant and most plants react in the same way to most forms of stress. Other forms of stress are drought, water logging, wind damage, pest infestation etc. How do plants react to stress? Well they think they are going to die and their natural reaction is to try and produce babies. So they flower more and from lots of flowers comes lots of fruit, seed or whatever. An old fruit tree that I once was called to prune produced its best harvest in fifteen years the year following one of my heavey handed loppings. I've been pruning roses and clematis in a garden today. The clematis were a joy, the roses were just a bunch of vicious twigs that dont even deserve to be composted.
When selecting tools for the job get sharp bladed secateures, shears, loppers and a saw either pruning or bush type will do. Make sure also that blades are clean. The thicker the stem or branch to be cut the bigger the instrument of death to be used on it. Finger thickness stuff with secateures, between finger and wrist thickness use loppers and thicker than a wrist bring in the saw. Shears are for hedge type stuff, really thin twigs and leafy stuff.
When to prune. When does the shrub in question flower? If it flowers before the end of June prune after it has flowered. Such as Philadelphus, Cytisus, Weigela and Forsythia.
If, like roses, it flowers mid to late summer then prune in March. For the tree hugging hippies amongst you who, like me, follow the natural rhythms of nature, prune after a full moon, more towards the new moon when less sap is rising and less damage is done to the plant. For more detail on this check out www.gardeningbythemoon.com .
If the shrub produces ornamental fruits and berries such as some Viburnums and most Cotoneaster then prune in the late spring when the fruits have dropped off and before the next lot of flowers appear. The one I have a problem with is Viburnum tinus as it is always doing something, either flowering or fruiting. The bloody thing always looks good.
OK so what to remove first? dead wood should be first out and right back to its base. Thin weak stuff next, again down to near the base or where the stem thickens up. Any stems that cross and rub up against each other, take out the thinnest of the two. Try and get the air circulating through the shrubs core so any inward facing growth cut back to a bud that points outward. Cut back the remaining stems to healthy buds as far back as required. Cornus, Salix, Lavatera, Buddleia and Hybrid Tea roses cut back brutally to within a few inches of the ground.
Weigela, Forsythia and other early flowerers take back older wood by two thirds. The rule I use is the thinner the stem the harder back the cut. Think again about the foundation thing mentioned in the clematis training blog. You want to get a good base to work from with your shrubs. Perennials of course only need cutting back to ground level once in the Autumn. Try to catch them before the stems go too dry and woody so they compost down quicker.

Lets be honest here while we're on the subject, how often do shrubs and perennials require cutting? Once a year, sometimes less for shrubs. How often does grass require cutting?? So which is the lower maintenance, grass or shrub borders? I used to dispare when doing garden designs with customers who'd ask for low maintenance gardens then follow it up with the classic request 'not too many plants just plenty of lawn.' Morons! I'd generally put in stupid quotes to put them off so I didn't have to work for them. They'd be the same ones who'd want instant gardens. Sorry but wheres the joy in seeing a new garden that is going to look the same in ten years as it looks on day one. You may as well have it all paved. Who in their right mind wakes up and thinks ' Oh I'll make a cup of coffee and have a wander round to see how.. the patio has developed/the specimen conifers have unchanged since last week. The thrill and joy of a garden is in watching things grow and develope. Thats what makes you want to get out and have a look around on a sunny spring morning not the bloody paving or the quality of the brick laying in the raised beds.


Sorry I need to calm down, I'll go and watch the newts in my pond. Hmm! Could be next weeks blog, Newt attraction techniques. Ponds for short. Go on then go and get grubby.