Three plants that must be pruned now if you want a ‘fabulous display of flowers in summer’
Spring is now in full force which means it's time to understand what to prune in April - especially if you want your garden looking its best for the summery months ahead.
Pruning is an essential gardening job during most months of the year, but it’s important to know what plants need pruning at certain times.
Pruning plants at the right time keeps them “healthy and strong, producing abundant flowers” and fruit for you to enjoy, according to the experts at Creative Gardens.
They claimed that spring is “the best time to prune” many deciduous shrubs, especially those that flower in late summer.
1. Roses
Bush roses should be pruned in late winter or early spring, just as they start to put out new shoots.
Remove any dead, damaged or crossing branches, and any thin spindly shoots.
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Prune roses at a 45-degree angle above a bud eye, angling downward on the opposite side of the stem from the eye.
Next, shorten the remaining stems, cutting back by a third to a half, just above an outward-facing bud. Gardeners should aim to produce a rounded shrub.
2. Hydrangeas
There are so many different varieties of hydrangeas, but mophead hydrangeas always need to be pruned in spring.
To do so, cut back to the first set of strong buds below the old flowerhead.
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Lacecap hydrangeas can be cut back to the second pair of buds below the flowerhead.
On older established plants, cut back one or two old stems down to ground level to promote new growth.
Hydrangea paniculata and hydrangea arborescens can also be pruned in spring. Cut back last year’s stems to a strong pair of buds low down on the stem, and remove any dead wood.
3. Buddlejas
Buddleja davidii can be cut back hard in spring to between 30 to 60cm above ground level. This will stop it getting leggy and “ensure a fabulous display of flowers in summer”.
If the plant is very tall and bushy, start by cutting it down to half its height so that you have easier access to the main stems at the base.
Gardeners need to note that buddleja alternifolia, which has long, fluffy flowers, and buddleja globosa, with round orange flowers, “should be pruned after flowering” in summer.