Now is the crucial period for pruning certain plants to ensure they flourish next season. The Royal Horticultural Society explains that pruning is a selective method of removing parts of a plant to promote better growth. It's essential to understand that each type of shrub and flower requires pruning at different times throughout the year, so knowing when to use the secateurs is key.
Experts point out that with the dormant season approaching, there are numerous plants in the garden ready for pruning. For roses situated in windy or exposed locations, David Austin recommends trimming shrub roses by one-third of their height around mid to late October, as reported by the Express. This should be done after the last blooms have wilted, reports the Mirror .
The aim is to prevent "wind rock", a condition where the rose becomes unstable at its base due to wind, according to gardening specialists. It's important to clear away any "dead, dying, diseased and damaged steams" and remove all remaining leaves. Mediterranean varieties such as rosemary, lavender , and citrus need to be pruned after they've bloomed but before the onset of winter to minimise stress.
For rosemary, it's advised to trim back the entire plant by roughly one-third to maintain its size and shape. When it comes to pruning lavender, timing is crucial. William Mitchell from Sutton Manor Nursery advises: "Left to its own devices, lavender can become bushy and leggy.
Pruning annually can help to keep its shape and stop it from becoming too big." This should be done approximately five or six weeks before the first frost is expected. For those with Parthenocissus plants such as Boston ivy and Virginia creeper, the experts at Crocus recommend: "Boston ivy and Virginia creeper will need new shoots tying into their supports for the first couple of growing seasons after planting.
" They also suggest that established plants should be pruned anytime from now until Christmas to maintain size and prevent overgrowth near windows, guttering, or roofs. For old and neglected plants, they advise a severe pruning back to plump buds about 1m from the ground at this time of year. Regarding Buddleja davidii, the RHS has specific guidance.
They state that Buddleja davidii is typically pruned hard in the spring but suggests gardeners could cut it back by half now to tidy it up and reduce wind rock. Similarly, shrubs like Cornus alba and Lavatera can be pruned halfway now and then again in spring..
