Home > Projects >

How to: Maintenance Pruning

You will need: Secateurs, pruning saw

On ornamental plants (not fruit) there are a few basic reasons why you should prune, best remembered as the 4 Ds: Dead, Dying, Damaged and Diseased. Next, remove crossing or rubbing branches, any that have reverted to green and for shape.

Best time to do it:

Step 1

Dead wood is easiest to see and remove in summer. Cut back to healthy, pale-coloured wood.

Step 2

Die-back is common after early pruning where a rogue frost can catch you out. Cut back to just above a healthy bud.

Step 3

Larger dead stems should be removed with a pruning saw, working very carefully so you do not damage nearby shoots.

Step 4

Green shoots on a variegated plant should be removed, as they contain more chlorophyll and are stronger. If left, they will take over and you will lose the variegation.

Related FAQs

Ask a gardening question:

Latest Gardening News

Royal Horticultural Society shares plants for birds as feeding advice changes

STIGA secures triple victory for Robotic Innovations and Digital Experience

Rhododendrons for non-acid soils

A New Alliance for Britain's Specialist Nurseries

Gardening Projects for April

---

How to grow cucumbers

How to grow a lily in a Container

How to protect against wind

How to: New orchids from old

Latest Gardening Videos

---

How can I get rid of mushrooms growing in my lawn?

Why are my pansies and violas wilting?

Removing a Tree

How do I protect my tulips from squirrels and other pests?

How can I get rid of a red ant nest in my lawn?

Moving House and Taking the Garden with You | Garden Ideas | Val Bradley

All Videos

Explore Gardens from Around the World

Pukekura Park
New Plymouth, New Zealand

Ritsurin Garden
Takamatsu, Japan

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Tokyo, Japan

RHS Harlow Carr
Harrogate, United Kingdom

Monet's Garden, Giverny
Giverny, France

Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens
Tokyo, Japan