Pruning Guides

Quick Answer January is prime time for pruning apple and pear trees, wisteria, roses, soft fruit bushes (gooseberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants), grapevines, deciduous hedges and most deciduous trees whilst they’re dormant. The bare branches make it easy to see the structure, and plants won’t bleed sap or suffer from disease as readily as when actively growing. […]

Quick Answer: Winter pruning is best carried out from November to March on dormant deciduous plants. Prune fruit trees, roses, wisteria, and deciduous shrubs during this period to encourage vigorous spring growth, better flowering, and improved fruit production. Never prune spring-flowering shrubs, evergreens, or stone fruits in winter. Over my many years of gardening and 15 […]

Yes, winter is the best time to prune most deciduous trees. When trees are dormant (from November to late February), they heal faster, diseases are inactive, and you can clearly see the tree’s structure without leaves. However, some trees like cherries, plums and other members of the Prunus family should never be pruned in winter […]

Sometimes gardeners can get a bit trigger-happy when it comes to pruning trees, especially in winter when their actual shape of the tree is laid bare. However, did you know that cherry, plum and apricot trees (any in the prunus genus) shouldn’t be pruned in winter due to them contracting a fungus called silver leaf? […]

This guide from guest writer and gardening enthusiast Rosie Buckley gives the Garden Ninja community some top tips when planning any hedge cutting. As birds are a vital part of our garden’s ecosystem ensuring we don’t disturb them is key to clean hedge cutting. This page contains affiliate links for products I use and love. […]

As small garden trees and fruit trees grow each year, the risk of lower branches becoming too heavy to support the fruit is a real concern. If you leave these lower branches to continue to grow and bear fruit, the likelihood is they will start to droop to the flower and could tear themselves off […]

Pruning is one of the key parts of creating and maintaining a gorgeous garden. However, many gardeners avoid pruning due to a lack of confidence or a lack of understanding of how to prune. This guide explains why you need to prune in the garden and how to prune plants perfectly! With a sharp pair […]

It’s a sad fact that an area the size of the UK is being lost each year worldwide to deforestation. Trees are being felled and cut down at an alarming rate. Now, even local UK councils are stealth tree felling claiming that their ‘maintenance’ costs outweigh trees’ environmental benefits. It’s all too easy for homeowners […]

We seem to have a bit of an issue with pruning as gardeners. I remember when I first started gardening, the thought of cutting off parts of the plants I’d spent ages nurturing felt horrific. I let them grow however and wherever they wanted. Just grateful they were growing. However, this laissez-faire approach always ends […]

I’m often asked by new and experienced gardeners how to prune fruit trees in summer. Many gardeners know of winter pruning before spring as housekeeping but summer pruning often gets overlooked. Maybe its the euphoria of long sunny days, flowers all around the garden and hazy nights watching sunsets. However, if you fail to keep […]