Spring pruning is a vital job for all gardeners. To help you get into the swing of spring pruning, gardening experts have shared four common plants that need pruning now
April is a crucial month for gardeners, with pruning being one of the key tasks to ensure plants thrive in the summer. Gardening gurus have revealed four common plants found in many gardens that require pruning right now.
1. Rose shrubs
Rose shrubs generally need to be pruned before the growing season kicks off. If March remains chilly, this task might extend into late April.
It’s essential to wait until after the last frost date to avoid cold damage to new cuts on the roses. However, it’s best to prune “before new blooms appear”, as advised by Hedges Direct experts, making it easier to identify any damaged or dead branches.
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2. Hydrangeas
Early spring is the optimal time to prune common hydrangeas to promote more robust blooms later in the year. For those who haven’t removed the flower heads over winter, April is the time to deadhead down to the newer buds, reports the Express.
Light pruning suits newly planted or unestablished hydrangeas and also these varieties:
- Hydrangea macrophylla
- Hydrangea aspera
- Hydrangea serrata
- Hydrangea quercifolia
Other species, such as hydrangea paniculata and Hydrangea arborescens, can handle a more “stronger prune”. Remove the previous year’s flower heads and cut back old stems by a third to a quarter, or down to where the stems are still healthy.
Healthy stems should be firm to the touch, thick, and a lush green. This will help to thin out any overcrowded branches so the plant can concentrate on sprouting new growth instead.
3. Lavender
Lavender is famed for being fuss-free and simple to cultivate, but if left to its own devices, it can “become leggy and unruly”.
While lavender bushes are robust enough to go without fertiliser and can withstand frost, many green-fingered enthusiasts opt to prune them at summer’s end to clear away the spent blooms.
Yet, some gardeners forgo the late-summer snip, preferring to savour the fading flowers which offer additional protection against winter damage, especially in frost-prone regions like the east and south of the UK. If you missed pruning them back then, “April is the best time to trim lavender”.
Snip off old blooms and cut just above the lowest fresh bud on each stem. Steer clear of the older, woodier branches as they may not respond well to regrowth.
4. Camellia
Camellias generally don’t need much yearly pruning, but according to gardening gurus at Crocus, they can be given a trim post-flowering in spring to “tidy up straggly stems”.
To maintain a small, dense bush, trim last year’s growth down to a few buds from the older wood.
For older, unkempt plants, a vigorous spring pruning can “encourage vigorous new shoots” from the base. To keep your plants looking their prime, remove any wilted flowers that linger on the shrub.
