Home > Projects >

How to Prune

You will need: Secateurs, Pruning Saw, Gloves

The first rule of pruning is to remove the four Ds. Dead, Dying, Diseased and Damaged. This is best done in winter when you can see the problem. Aftr that prune for reversion and tidying.

Best time to do it:

Step 1

For larger branches, remove any obvious dead, diseased or damaged wood, cutting back to live wood using a clean saw.

Step 2

Smaller shoots can be cut using clean secatuers cutting back just above an outward facing bud.

Step 3

A green shoot on a varigated shrub needs removing at its base. This is known as reversion and any all green shoots are stonger and eventually take over, changing the look of the plant.

Step 4

Remove old flower heads from plants like lavendar in spring to allow room for new growth.

Related FAQs

Ask a gardening question:

Latest Gardening News

Top 10 Gardening Gifts for Christmas 2024

Kew Unveils New Glasshouses

Three Tree Collections Gain NPC Status Ahead of National Tree Week

Essential Gardening Jobs for Late Autumn

Gardening Projects for December

---

How to Make a Bird Feeder

How to Propagate Mistletoe

How to take Hardwood Cuttings

How to clean your pots

Latest Gardening Videos

---

How do I protect container plants from the cold?

How should I overwinter a potted Canna lily?

Is it safe to compost rhubarb leaves?

How to Grow Orchids

Why are there brown / black marks on my Hellebores?

How do I treat liverwort?

All Videos

Explore Gardens from Around the World

Gardens of the Generalife, Alhambra
Granada, Spain

Majorelle Garden
Marrakesh, Morocco

Keukenhof
Lisse, Netherlands

Aswan Botanical Garden
Aswan, Egypt

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Richmond, United Kingdom

RHS Garden, Wisley
Woking, United Kingdom