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

Flower bulbs: Plant them in time

Three Top New Flowers from T & M

Grab a Christmas Bargain

Candide Gardening App Closes

Gardening Projects for December

---

How to: Maintenance Pruning

How to Propagate Mistletoe

How to take Hardwood Cuttings

How to Protect Containers

Latest Gardening Videos

---

Autumn Clearing

Top 50 Best Bad Gardening Jokes

Digging Sweet Pea Trenches

Sweet Peas in November

Growing Brussels Sprouts

Sugar Snap Peas

All Videos

Explore Gardens from Around the World

Keukenhof
Lisse, Netherlands

RHS Harlow Carr
Harrogate, United Kingdom

Nongnooch Tropical Garden
Pattaya, Thailand

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Cape Town, South Africa

Vallarta Botanical Garden
Vallarta, Mexico

Aswan Botanical Garden
Aswan, Egypt