For more on pruning<\/strong><\/p>\n

How to prune Roses<\/a><\/li>\n
How to prune climbing plants<\/a><\/li>\n
How to prune apples and pear trees<\/a><\/li>\n
How to prune buddleja and shrubs<\/a><\/li>\n
How to prune hedges<\/a><\/li>\n
How to prune perennial flowers and grasses<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div>

$\""Apple\"$ <\/div>
\u00a9 Gavin Kingcome<\/figcaption><\/div><\/div> <\/div> <\/section>
The first step in overcoming our fear of pruning is to understand why a particular tree or shrub needs to be pruned<\/a>. The most obvious reason might appear to be simply to control the size and shape of a plant: after all, both simple hedges<\/a> and extravagant topiary need regular tidying, or they become leggy and misshapen. Another reason is to remove damage caused by weather or disease. If you\u2019re looking for advice on pruning tools, here\u2019s our pruning tools round up.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
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\u00a9 Gavin Kingcome<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
What is pruning?<\/h2>\n
Why do we prune?<\/h3>\n
Understanding how plants grow and develop, and the effects on plants of cutting into a stem, is important for successful pruning. Many gardeners have an aversion to the science of plant growth, but, when it comes to where and how to prune, a little bit of botany goes a long way. The buds at the tip of tree and shrub stems \u2013 the apical buds \u2013 produce growth-restricting hormones (known as auxins) that are sent back through the stem to buds lower down. Auxins inhibit the development of these buds into further stems that would overcrowd and compete with the dominant apical bud. Removing this stem allows the lower set of buds to form into stems. These new stems will, in turn, produce auxins to inhibit the lower buds.<\/p>\n
It is easy to understand this process when you consider a yew hedge<\/a>. Anyone who has planted a yew, or any other hedge<\/a>, knows that, until the hedge reaches the height you want, it is thin and straggly. The moment you cut the leading stems the rest of the hedge begins to sprout new shoots and will quickly thicken out. The yew is trying to grow into a large tree, but the constant clipping prevents it from forming a trunk, and encourages shoots to form lower down the hedge. These principles are the same for all trees and shrubs that are pruned.<\/p>\n
Make the pruning cut correctly<\/h3>\n
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\u00a9 Gavin Kingcome<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
For all shrubs that have individual stems pruned the cut is the same.<\/p>\n
Make a clean cut just above a bud, at an angle sloping away from it. Do not leave too long a stem above the bud (far right \u2013 1) as this will rot and allow disease to get into the rest of the healthy stem. Making a flat cut (2) means that moisture does not run off the cut, again causing rot. Cutting too low (3) robs the bud of part of its food source. A snag from blunt secateurs (4) provides a home for pests and diseases. Cutting towards the bud (5) channels rainwater into it. The best cut is a sharp angle with a clean edge just above the bud (6).<\/p>\n

The best pruning tools<\/strong><\/p>\n
The best tools for pruning<\/a><\/li>\n
The 12 best secateurs to buy for 2022<\/a><\/li>\n
Best pruning saws for cutting in the garden<\/a><\/li>\n
Best telescopic pruners: 8 options for those hard to reach spots<\/a><\/li>\n
Best loppers for garden pruning jobs<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div>

$\""FELCO\"$ <\/div><\/div> <\/div> <\/section>
Pruning old wood or new growth<\/h3>\n
The most common reason to prune is to increase the flower and fruit production of trees, shrubs and even perennials. It is this aspect of pruning that seems complicated and leads to most anxiety: some plants flower on this year\u2019s growth, others on old wood; some plants flower early in the year, others much later. All need different pruning regimes. But don\u2019t be put off. Begin by learning about the plants you grow. You don\u2019t need to know how to prune, say, Edgeworthia if the only shrubs in your garden are buddlejas<\/a>. Remember, though, that not all species of the same genus are pruned in the same way.<\/p>\n
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\u00a9 Gavin Kingcome<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
When to prune<\/h3>\n
The correct time of year to prune varies from plant to plant. Pruning at the wrong time will not kill a plant, although continually doing so might weaken or damage it. In general, the worst time to prune is immediately after new shoots appear in early spring. Removing new shoots limits the amount of energy a plant can generate to produce more growth. Also avoid removing shoots in early autumn, as this may encourage late growth, which will be unable to withstand winter weather. These are principles, not rules. Sometimes pruning at the \u2018wrong\u2019 time is unavoidable. If a shrub becomes damaged by wind,\u00a0 by the dogs chasing pigeons, or by an inattentive builder, it is best to prune out the damaged stems immediately.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t rush pruning<\/h3>\n
It is easy to get carried away when pruning and to end up cutting more than necessary. Cutting back a plant often has a dramatic effect and this can generate an enthusiasm that is hard to control. Pruning isn\u2019t piece work: take it slowly. Savour the moment and contemplate how much good you\u2019re doing to the plant and how much better the garden will be for it. If you begin to feel an adrenalin-rush it is probably time to stand back and reflect on whether what you are doing is really necessary.<\/p>\n
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\u00a9 Gavin Kingcome<\/i> <\/span>\n<\/div>\nLeave some jobs to the professionals<\/h2>\n
Dealing with large trees, or anything that involves a chainsaw, is a skilled and dangerous job. For tree work it\u2019s better to call in the big boys.<\/p>\n

Read our features on coppicing<\/strong><\/p>\n
Dogwood<\/a><\/p>\n
Foxglove tree<\/a><\/p>\n
Hazel<\/a><\/p>\n
<\/p><\/div>

$\""Cutting\"$ <\/div>
\u00a9 Andrew Montgomery<\/figcaption><\/div><\/div> <\/div> <\/section>
\u00a0<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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By John Hoyland Published: Thursday, 26 January 2023 at 12:00 am The mysteries of pruning can seem so daunting that nothing ever gets pruned. This, though, is not necessarily a bad thing: more damage can be done to shrubs and trees by pruning them badly than by leaving well alone. But pruning correctly can have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":18827,"template":"","categories":[1,17],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"6"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/01\/the-principles-of-pruning-scaled.jpg",2560,2076,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/01\/the-principles-of-pruning-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/01\/the-principles-of-pruning-300x243.jpg",300,243,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/01\/the-principles-of-pruning-768x623.jpg",768,623,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/01\/the-principles-of-pruning-1024x830.jpg",800,648,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/01\/the-principles-of-pruning-1536x1246.jpg",1536,1246,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/01\/the-principles-of-pruning-2048x1661.jpg",2048,1661,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By John Hoyland Published: Thursday, 26 January 2023 at 12:00 am The mysteries of pruning can seem so daunting that nothing ever gets pruned. This, though, is not necessarily a bad thing: more damage can be done to shrubs and trees by pruning them badly than by leaving well alone. But pruning correctly can have…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/18826"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}

What is pruning?<\/h2>\n

Leave some jobs to the professionals<\/h2>\nDealing with large trees, or anything that involves a chainsaw, is a skilled and dangerous job. For tree work it\u2019s better to call in the big boys.<\/p>\n