Summer Pruning: A Guide for Beginners
Why Prune Plants in Summer?
Pruning plants in summer is just as important as pruning in winter. By pruning in summer, you can:
- Promote better displays from ornamental plants
- Encourage bigger crops from fruit trees and bushes
- Keep plants within bounds and maintain an attractive shape
What Plants Need Pruning in Summer?
- Spring-flowering shrubs: Deutzia, flowering quince, forsythia, philadelphus, lilac
- Tender shrubs: Abutilon, outdoor fuchsias, hibiscus sinosyriacus, romneya
- Fruit trees: Apples, cherries, pears, plums
- Hedges and topiary: Beech and hornbeam, box, leylandii and thuja, privet and laurel, lonicera nitida
- Climbers: Wisteria, jasmine, honeysuckle, campsis, star jasmine (trachelospermum jasminoides)
- Rambling roses: Rosa filipes ‘Kiftsgate’, Rosa ‘Wedding Day’, Rosa ‘The Albrighton Rambler’, Rosa ‘Rambling Rector’, Rosa ‘Kew Rambler’
- Evergreens: Camellia, ceanothus, rhododendron
How to Prune Plants in Summer
Spring-flowering shrubs: Remove any stems killed by frost to encourage strong new growth.
Tender shrubs: Prune after flowering to encourage new growth that will flower next year. Remove the oldest, woody stems.
Fruit trees: Remove soft, new growth to promote fruit formation. Create space for light and air to reach the fruit.
Hedges and topiary: Cut back the current season’s growth to maintain shape. Trim fast-growing hedges more often.
Climbers: Prune back trailing stems, leaving just a few leaves on the current season’s growth. Remove older stems to avoid a bare base.
Rambling roses: Remove thin, dead, or diseased stems. Take out branches that have outgrown their space. Cut back a third of the oldest, flowered stems. Tie in new shoots that will flower next year.
Evergreens: Remove around a third of the old wood, taking away any crossing or congested branches. Trim back new growth to reshape the plant.
Pruning Tools
- Loppers
- Secateurs
- Pruning saw
- Hand shears
- Topiary shears
- Long-reach pruners
Tips for Summer Pruning
- Use sharp tools to make clean cuts.
- Prune on a dry day to prevent disease.
- Remove any diseased or damaged stems.
- Avoid pruning too early in the year, as new growth can be vulnerable to frost damage.
By following these tips, you can keep your plants healthy and looking their best all summer long.
