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


Powerscourt Gardens
Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, Ireland

RHS Garden, Wisley
Woking, United Kingdom

Pukekura Park
New Plymouth, New Zealand

Lalbagh Botanical Garden
Bangalore, India

Desert Botanical Garden
Phoenix, Arizona, USA



Watch a Video!

Why are my apples rotting on the branch?
Why are my apples rotting on the branch?
How do I protect my grapes from insects?
How do I protect my grapes from insects?
How do I
How do I 'thin' grape bunches?
How do I insulate my greenhouse?
How do I insulate my greenhouse?
Training Sweet Peas
Training Sweet Peas
How to tie gooseberries and redcurrants
How to tie gooseberries and redcurrants