Pruning is the secret to a lush, bountiful garden. It’s crucial for the health and productivity of trees and shrubs.
Snipping away at your plants sparks blooming and sculpts them, curbs unruly growth, and slashes the risk of disease.
Throughout the year, green-thumbed households have opportunities to prune various plants, yet, there are specific trees and shrubs that demand attention right now for the sake of their well-being.
Lindsey Chastain, the brains behind The Waddle and Cluck – a homely hub for all things home and garden, has dished out advice on which greenery requires a trim this instant.
She instructed: “October is a good time to prune back many shrubs and trees as they enter dormancy. Proper pruning encourages plants to be healthy and productive. Be sure to sterilise pruners between plants and make cuts just above outward-facing buds.”
1. Rose bushes
In early autumn, it’s time to give rose bushes a haircut by chopping any dead or sickly stems and downsizing the rest to between one-third and one-half their original size.
The pro suggests that this “stimulates new growth and flowering for the next season”.
Gardening aficionados should snip at an angle of 45 degrees, aiming just over a bud facing outwards.
2. Hydrangeas
Come October, hydrangeas are due for a tidy-up by cutting the stems down to “just above the second set of buds down from the flower head”.
Lindsey pointed out that this deed will dispatch the spent flowers and beckon in grand, fresh blossoms.
Gardeners are cautioned to note the variety of their hydrangeas, as mophead and panicle types require distinct pruning methods.
3. Fruit trees
Autumn is the time for gardeners to thin out old, overcrowded branches on fruit trees, aiming to let in more sunlight.
The expert has advised that the ideal time for this task is after the leaves have fallen, providing a clearer view of where to make cuts.
Lindsey suggested: “We like to use ribbon to mark branches before the leaves fall where the foliage is the most dense.”
Then, it’s just about cutting the branches at either the trunk or main branches at a 45-degree angle.
4. Evergreen Shrubs
For evergreen shrubs such as boxwoods and hollies, it is recommended to give them a light trim to shape, but “don’t take off more than one-third of the plant” to avoid harm.
5. Perennials
It’s time to cut back tall perennials like bee balm and garden phlox by a third of their height, which helps to “prevent damage” during the winter months.
