Pruning is a gardening job that most, if not all, plants will benefit from.
While June is a time to appreciate your outdoor space, there are still gardening jobs to be getting on with this month.
Pruning enhances plant health, stimulates new growth, and ensures a vibrant garden, especially with summer just around the corner.
However, not all plants should be pruned in June, as pruning at the wrong time can hinder the plant’s growth and production of fruit and flowers.
If gardeners time their pruning activities correctly, they can maximise the benefits for each plant.
Plants to prune in June
1. Weigela
According to the gardening pros at Hillier, weigela should be pruned back gently after flowering.
Cut the flowered stems to below the flowers. You may wish to cut some older stems down to the ground.
If the plant is still flowering, then gardeners need to wait until this has finished.
Some of the modern cultivars will continue to flower into autumn and require no pruning other than a late-winter shaping.
2. Sweet peas
A popular choice with gardeners, sweet peas are delicate flowers that will benefit from a light prune in June, according to Nigel Lawton, plant buyer at Dobbies Garden Centre.
He said: “Once established, sweet peas will climb happily by themselves, but it’s important to continue to prune out spent flowers to encourage continuous blooming.”
If sweet peas grow too tall, gardeners can prune the top of the main vine just above a shoot or bud.
3. Roses
Some varieties of roses can be pruned after they have finished flowering in June.
To ensure your roses continue to flower, Nigel suggests regularly deadheading roses, as it will tidy up the plant and promote healthy growth – Monty Don agrees.
Nigel added: “Feeding your roses with a specialist rose fertiliser and adding a layer of mulch will also help support new blooms.”
As June is the rose flowering season, this makes a “good time to introduce new varieties and colours to your beds and borders to maximise your summer display”, claimed the expert.
