Pruning is an essential gardening task that should be carried out regularly to improve plant health and appearance. This month, Monty Don highlights three key types of plants that can benefit from pruning in June.
Wisteria is one of the plants recommended for pruning this month. After flowering, which typically ends in mid-June, it’s time to prune the new shoots. Monty suggests cutting these back to a spur, leaving about six inches of growth. The process helps tidy the plant, remove any loose or trailing shoots, and ensure it grows more efficiently. For gardeners uncertain about how much to prune, Monty advises cutting lightly. In the new year, once the foliage has died back, further pruning can be done, reducing the shoots to just two or three inches.
Another plant that should be pruned this month is early flowering shrubs. Pruning these plants helps ensure that new growth has enough time to mature before winter, leading to a stronger flower display in the following spring. Monty advises gardeners to prune mature shrubs hard, removing most of the flowering stems to promote new shoots. He recommends cutting back up to a third or a quarter of the oldest growth every three or four years. Overgrown shrubs should be pruned gradually, while younger shrubs can have their weakest growth trimmed to maintain their shape.
For fruit-bearing trees like apples, pears, and dessert grapes, Monty suggests a different approach. While these trees naturally shed some of their fruit, gardeners should selectively remove the smallest fruit to allow the remaining ones to ripen more effectively. By doing so, not only will the remaining fruit grow better, but it will also help prevent branches from being damaged by excess weight later in the season.
Monty also stresses the importance of aftercare. Once pruning is complete, gardeners should weed, water, and apply mulch to their plants. For shrubs, it’s a good idea to take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, non-flowering stems to propagate new plants.
By following these pruning tips, gardeners can enhance the vigour of their plants and ensure a healthy, thriving garden throughout the summer.
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