Garden Help
Diagnose plant problems and treat garden pests


Get Gardening Help!

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:

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Step 1

Step 1 of How to Prune

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

Step 2

Step 2 of How to Prune

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

Step 3

Step 3 of How to Prune

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

Step 4 of How to Prune

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



Latest Gardening & Horticultural Careers


Explore Gardens from Around the World


/

Eram Garden
Shiraz, Iran

/

Nongnooch Tropical Garden
Pattaya, Thailand

/

Powerscourt Gardens
Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, Ireland



Watch a Video!

Seed Sowing
Seed Sowing
Growing Oriental Hellebores
Growing Oriental Hellebores
Apples in Spring
Apples in Spring
Autumn Clearing
Autumn Clearing
Training Cucumbers
Training Cucumbers
Digging Up Sweet Potatoes
Digging Up Sweet Potatoes

Sponsor Logo
Garden.Help is sponsored this week by Grazers
Sponsor Logo
Sponsored this week by Grazers