Winter Pruning Tips: Janine Elkins

Late winter is a crucially important time to prune, as we welcome in spring. Pruning is an integral part of maintaining and preparing our gardens for the new season. Our senior gardener Janine gives us her top winter tips.

Mature Apple and Pear Trees:

Prune in January making sure you remove any damaged, diseased, or dead branches. It’s best to prune your mature tree by opening the centre and removing branches that grow inwards, or those that cross and could rub, allowing for better air flow. Pruning at this time of year is extremely important as it will allow for stronger fruiting stems, and a plentiful harvest to enjoy.

Wisteria:

Winter pruning happens in January. Reduce the length of older flowering stems to around 3 buds or so, this will allow you an extra bud if required due to a hard frost etc. Pruning growth around the base of the plant will help reduce the risk of the shoots emerging from the graft and possibly resulting in a different colour than expected. An angled cut above the bud should aid water flow and help to prevent damage to the stem.

Buddleia Davidii (Butterfly bush):

Best time to cut back is between February and March. If left uncut, they can easily take over a border or garden. Pruning back each year helps the plant create large, vivid purple blooms with a powerful scent. Maintaining eye-level flowering stems will allow you to easily see and appreciate more butterflies and bees. In case of a late, intense frost, it’s always wise to leave around 3 sets of resilient buds in place.

Bushes, Standards and Climbing Roses:

If roses aren’t pruned, this can result in a plant that becomes unwieldy, with fragile blooms and stems at risk of pests and disease. With regular pruning, the roses will develop a strong support structure, framing beautiful, highly scented blossom. The best time to prune is around late January to early February, when buds are starting to emerge. Remove any dead wood, very delicate stems and branches that cross and could rub. Aim for an open centre to the plant, or odd number of branches if pruning a climbing rose.

Hellebores:

Hellebores are a mini miracle at this time of year - it always surprising how they survive the freezing temperatures. They start to come into their own with their beautiful display of colour, bringing much interest to shaded spots in the garden. Cutting away older leaves that have started to become a little scruffy, will help expose fresh green foliage and beautiful, delicate upright flowers that signal spring is on its way.