LAST CHANCE TO GET THE PRUNING DONE!

If you have not done so already, it is that time of year to get the secateurs sharpened, pull on some sexy protective gloves and get out there on a dry day (if you can find one).

It is time to get all the pruning done before leaf burst. Pruning is really essential to the ongoing health and vigour of many plants. It seems a bit paradoxical that we cut bits off the plant to encourage new growth, but that is exactly how it works.

Many people think that you have to be an expert to prune properly. Whilst it helps to have some basic information, which is the purpose of this article, there is no greater teacher than experience, and your plants will forgive you and grow anyway (in most cases) if you muck it up!

Having said that, there is a very clear distinction between hacking away indiscriminately at a plant to cut it back, and pruning with discretion.

The first rule of pruning is to ask yourself this question: "If I cut the stem at this point, where will the new growth emerge from?" and to answer this question you need to consider this:

• Cutting the leading shoot encourages the growth of side shoots, and
• Cutting the side shoots encourages the growth of the leading shoot.

Simple!

What you really want to do is encourage lateral growth in flowering and fruiting plants which bear mostly on side shoots. This is done by cutting the tip of the branch off just above a leaf node - and ‘just above' is to be taken literally, as any stumpy bits left above the leaf bud will just rot and could disease the wood below it. The buds below the cut will develop and grow.

However, if you want a plant to grow taller, then you cut the lateral shoots off, diverting growth energy and thereby allowing the branch to extend in length.

Those plants that renew themselves by annually growing new shoots to replace the ones that have spent their energy need to be thinned. This involves cutting out old wood to make way for the new.  These plants (including roses and multi-stemmed shrubs like hydrangeas) can be cut back fairly hard and the idea is to create a ‘vase' shape that will allow the light in.

Some other basic rules apply

• Remove any diseased or spindly growth.
• Remove any branches that criss-cross over other branches.
• Prune above the bud at approx 45° angle.
• Aim for a well shaped and open bush or shrub.
• Usually remove one quarter to one third of the last season's growth.
• If you are trying to maintain the bush at a certain height then work on replacing old wood with new season's growth

And a word about sharpening the secateurs: ignore this advice at the peril of the plants as you cannot cut clean with blunt instruments; and ragged cuts invite disease as they cannot heal quickly and properly.

After all this phenomenal rainfall, a few fine days are predicted for this week. So - don't delay - prune today!

Cheers,

Harry and Lloyd.