Gardening legend Monty Don, known for his role on BBC Gardeners’ World, has shared his top tips for pruning in autumn and winter, including the one plant he tends to cut back in October and November
Monty Don has revealed the one type of plant he makes a point of pruning in October and November. In a detailed article for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine on autumn and winter pruning, Monty shared his “philosophy” when it comes to trimming back at his expansive Longmeadow garden.
It’s all about cutting back the offending plant if it “doesn’t look good” or needs “propping up” to maintain its appearance. Monty then divulged his strategy for one specific type of plant.
He explained how he gives them a “quick clip” with the shears this month or next to remove excess growth, but importantly, this is all “many of them” will see for the rest of the year.
The gardening guru penned: “Our shrub roses get a quick clip with shears in October or November to remove any excess growth, and I don’t touch many of them again – that quick clip is all they get for the year.
“For any that have grown a bit leggy or are getting older, I will go over them with a pair of secateurs in February to remove some old growth. We also prune climbing roses in autumn or late winter, cutting back to a framework from which sideshoots will flower.”
Monty noted that it’s useful to identify if your roses flower on new or old growth so you can establish a “pruning regime”.
He pointed out that rambling roses bloom on old, meaning you won’t have flowers in the summer if you hard prune in February.
If you follow this advice, you’ll see healthy growth, but Monty emphasised that new flowers won’t appear. He then pointed out types of roses that bloom on new growth.
He added: “Shrub roses, all hybrid tea roses, climbing roses and floribunda roses all flower on new growth, so can be pruned hard in March, and you’ll still get flowers in the summer.”
In related news, Monty has also revealed when we should stop mowing the lawn before the cold winter months set in. According to him, it’s best to keep cutting the grass for “as long as it keeps growing”.
It’s also better to keep your grass “too long than too short” over winter. Monty suggested using a rake to remove any thatch and moss before adding it to your compost heap.
Speaking to Ideal Homes, Chris McIlroy, an in-house lawn seed expert at The Grass People, noted that cutting your grass too short leaves it “vulnerable” to the cold weather over winter.
He added: “We advise gardeners to keep their grass around 2.3 to 3 inches tall during the winter months. This length provides enough surface area for photosynthesis while preventing snow mould and root damage from setting in.”