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Pruning – when done correctly – is essential to keep plants healthy and happy. We tell you why, and how to go about it.
Pruning is an important part of caring for plants, as are watering and feeding, and it's not only seasoned
gardeners who should be attempting
to master more advanced pruning
techniques. Even if you're a novice you
can use a pair of pruning shears with
great success once you know the basics.Shape: Trees and shrubs that have been
damaged by machinery, vandals or bad
weather need to be pruned to restore
their shape.
Disease and pest control: Prune twigs or
branches that are sick or dead. This will
also improve 'coverage' of the plant so
that pesticides can be applied thoroughly
and with greater ease.
More light: Get rid of low-hanging
branches that are no longer people
friendly, or that cast too much shade
over flowerbeds and lawns.
New growth: Pruning stimulates healthy
new growth, which will eventually yield
more flowers or fruit.
Aesthetics and shelter: Plants can be
pruned into specific shapes simply for
decorative purposes or to form a more
formal hedge. Prune trees and large
shrubs from the outset to emphasise the
shape and to accommodate growth.
Subdue uninhibited growth: Plants such
as bougainvilleas and creepers that take
over trees, gutters, and power lines can
be brought under control.
Frost and other winter damage: Pruning
gets rid of parts that have been destroyed
by the cold, and breathes new life into
damaged ones.
It's neat: Prune your plants throughout
the year to keep them neat and in shape. Rosemary doesn't like being
pruned back too sharply.
Garland May (Spiraea): The
untidy autumn appearance of
these plants is misleading.
Only start pruning once
the spring flowers have
disappeared. Remember,
the plant flowers on bare
winter stems.
Lavender: Prune lightly
and regularly. Keep the shape
round so that the sunlight
can stimulate thick growth
over the entire plant, all the
way to ground level.
Hedges: The bottom should
be wider than the top because
the lateral branches need
sufficient light, otherwise
bare patches will soon start
to appear.
Conifers grow actively from
autumn to spring, and this is
also the right time to shape
them neatly. Don't cut into the
old wood behind the healthy
foliage – rather remove the
points of growth with a pair
of sharp scissors.
Peach trees: Prune them
annually, preferably when
they are already in full bloom.
This will prevent the tree from
being overburdened by too
many small fruit, and also
stimulate the growth of new
branches for the following
year's harvest. If the fruit
that is left behind is roughly
the size of walnuts, thin it
out until there's only one for
every 15-20cm of branch.
Ground cover: Plants such as
periwinkle (Vinca major) and
carpet geranium or mountain
tea (Geranium incanum) must
be pruned sharply to ensure
thick cover and to keep them
in check.
Why should you prune?
Plants with pruning quirks
Click here for more great pruning tips from Home magazine.
Photographs: Jan Ras
