Pruning

One question I’m asked on a regular basis is how far can I cut this shrub back?”

Well, as with lots of things in the garden, the answer can be varied. Not very helpful, I know…

A general rule of thumb to follow for shrubs, especially woody shrubs like Lavender, Marguerite Daisies, and Rosemary, all plants that seem to be commonly grown, is to cut them back after flowering.

How hard to cut them back depends on a few things though. Firstly, is the shape of the plant ok? Does it fit into its space and not encroach on another plant’s space?

Next, is the plant healthy and strong? Does it have long, woody stems with sparse growth at the ends, or is it compact and bushy?

The choice on how hard to cut can vary according to all of these situations.

If the plant is strong and healthy and just needs a trim to keep it in its place, you only need to take off the dead flowers and just a little growth so it doesn’t grow a lot to replace it.

If the shrub is long and ‘leggy’, with an untidy shape, you can cut it back harder. Firstly cut out as much dead wood as you can, then cut the long stems back as far as you need to encourage a nice (generally) rounded shape.

One thing to keep in mind is shrubs like the ones I mentioned above may not grow back from stems that have been cut hard so always try to find some new growth and cut back to there (pictured below) If there’s no new growth then remember it may not grow back and keep this in mind when you’re planning its future shape.

It is always helpful to research a bit into the plants you need to tend, find out when to prune, and often the information in how hard to prune will be available as well.

Gardening is a learning journey and, speaking from experience, you never finish that journey. Some plants will make the journey with you, other plants may not make it! Finding out how and when to prune plants goes a long way to being a successful gardener.

‘Til next time!