Spring Shrub Pruning
Time to Prune Those Summer Flowering Shrubs
As Spring has begun in earnest, you are running out of time to start pruning some of those shrubs that flower in the summer. Specifically we need to prune those shrubs that flower on this season’s growth.
When pruning any shrub it’s vital you understand how and when it flowers, as this will very often determine how and when you prune. At this time of year, our attention is focused on those summer flowering shrubs that produce their flowers on their new growth.
Popular shrubs that flower on new growth include:
Buddleja
Salvia
Fuchsia
Abelia
Roses
Hydrangea paniculata
This isn’t an exhaustive list, so please check the RHS website here for more information on your plants.
The main reason to prune these shrubs is to control their size and shape. However, the reason we prune them at this time is to encourage them to produce fresh new growth in spring for the flowers to form on during the summer. If we pruned them in autumn or during the winter, any new growth will be weak and liable to be damaged by the cold winds.
How much we prune them depends on how much they grow each year and how much we need to control them. Shrubs like Buddlejas and Salvias can more than triple in size each year, so pruning them by two thirds makes sense. Whereas Fuchsias only grow only a small amount, so removing just one third is fine. Though it also depends how often the shrub has been pruned before. I recently had to prune a Fushsia harder than I would have liked because it hadn’t been touched for several years.
I know this may seem daunting to some people, and you’re afraid of harming your plants. However, this is a vital job that needs to be done for the benefit of the plant. So please don’t be afraid, check that your shrub flowers on new growth, have a go, and you will be rewarded a fantastic display of flowers in the Summer.