| Most trees and shrubs will need an occasional | | | | buds so that new growth does not increase the |
| prune to maintain health, control their size and | | | | congestion in the center of the plant. |
| improve the display of flowers or foliage. It is a | | | | Make the cut angled away from the bud so that |
| straightforward process provided you use the | | | | it sheds water. With shrubs such as potently and |
| correct pruning technique and get the timing right. | | | | spree, which have a lot of thin, wiry stems, |
| Despite having acquired a reputation for being | | | | pruning in this way is not practicable. You will get |
| difficult, all pruning follows a few basic rules, which | | | | just as good a result if you use shears to cut |
| are easy to understand and to put into practice. | | | | back the plant. Indeed, recent research has |
| The first rule is to have good quality tools with | | | | shown that even thick stemmed bush roses can |
| sharp, clean blades. Sharp well maintained blades | | | | be rough pruned without a noticeable decline in |
| will make clean cuts without damaging the | | | | their health or flowering potential. |
| surrounding tissues left on the plant. By keeping | | | | A few shrubs, such as bay, corky lines and |
| the blades clean you will also minimize the chance | | | | myrtle, are worth wrapping up in winter. Make an |
| of spreading disease when you prune. | | | | insulating duvet out of two layers of fine mesh |
| If you are removing diseased material it is a good | | | | netting stuffed with insulating material. Wrap the |
| idea to use a garden disinfectant to wipe the | | | | plants in late autumn or early winter and uncover |
| blades between cuts. It is also important to use | | | | them in early spring. Some evergreen, particularly |
| the right pruning tools for the thickness of the | | | | conifers, are susceptible to damage caused by |
| stem. For cutting stems up to half inch thick use | | | | the weight of accumulated snow. The plant can |
| a pair of primers, for stems half inch thick a pair | | | | be either pulled out of shape or have limbs |
| of long handled loppers would be best. For stems | | | | broken. Prevent damage by tying up susceptible |
| more than three centimeters thick you will need a | | | | plants before winter or routinely knock heavy falls |
| pruning saw. Pruning cuts should also be made in | | | | of snow from exposed plants before damage is |
| the right way. As a rule, cut just above an | | | | caused. |
| outward facing, healthy looking bud or pair of | | | | |