When should I prune my plants?

The timing question is really about where next year's flowers come from. Plants that flower on old wood formed last year must be pruned right after flowering; plants that flower on new wood can be cut back hard before growth begins.

What you'll need

• Sharp secateurs
• Loppers (optional)
• Pruning saw (optional)

Step by step

1. Work out whether it flowers on old or new wood.Flowers in spring or early summer generally means old wood. Flowers from midsummer onwards generally means new wood formed that season.
2. Prune spring-flowering shrubs immediately after flowering.Forsythia, philadelphus, weigela, spring-flowering clematis. It gives them the whole season to make the wood that flowers next spring.
3. Prune summer-flowering shrubs in late winter or early spring.Buddleja, late clematis, hardy fuchsia, lavatera. They flower on growth made that year, so hard pruning before it starts is correct.
4. Prune most fruit trees in winter while dormant.Apples and pears in winter. Stone fruit — plums, cherries — must be pruned in summer instead, because winter pruning invites silver leaf disease.
5. Remove dead, damaged and diseased wood at any time.This is always correct and never has a wrong season. Do it first on any plant before deciding what else to remove.
6. Cut just above an outward-facing bud.A slight angle away from the bud. It directs new growth outwards, keeping the plant open rather than congested in the middle.
7. Do not prune anything in active hard frost.Cut surfaces are damaged by frost and the plant cannot begin healing. Wait for milder weather.
8. Check for nesting birds before cutting hedges or shrubs.In many countries it is an offence to disturb an active nest, and the nesting season is long.

Tips

• If you cannot identify a shrub, pruning lightly straight after it flowers is the safest default for almost anything.
• Wrong-time pruning rarely kills a plant. Usually it costs one season's flowers, which is a recoverable mistake.
• Clean secateurs between plants if any disease is present. Pruning tools spread infection efficiently from one plant to the next.

Common mistakes

• Pruning spring-flowering shrubs in winter — You cut off the buds that would have flowered. The plant is fine but you lose the entire display.
• Pruning plums and cherries in winter — It creates an entry point for silver leaf disease, which can kill the tree. Stone fruit is pruned in summer.
• Pruning with blunt secateurs — Crushed stems heal badly and invite disease. Sharp clean cuts close over quickly.

Questions people ask