​How to prune shrubs - Gardening for beginners

Although each plant has specific needs and perfect times to prune, knowing the basics will get you by while you learn about your garden and what's in it.

Here are some handy tips to get you started.

When to prune shrubs

Most shrubs can be pruned from early spring before they begin to regrow their leaves and gointo bloom. Pruning promotes growth, so before they start to reawaken, spring makes for the best time to get out the secateurs and saws.

How to prune shrubs




The best way to start pruning is to get rid of any dead/damaged shoots or stems. You can usually tell if a stem has died because it won’t have any shoots along it, and it could have a dead-foliage-brown colour. If you scratch this stem with your fingernail, and there’s no green underneath, that’s confirmation that the stem is dead and needs chopping away.

Cut these damaged, old, and dead stems away at the base. Hopefully, this will promote more shoots come spring and summer.

The next step is to cut the shrub down by at least half its height. Do this with every stem, unless it’s dead or damaged. To trim, take your secateurs and follow the stem down to a mid-way bud. A bud is a section of the stem that should have (at least) a couple of leaves. Trim just above this bud.

Chopping the stem midway between the buds means that the stem won’t be able to grow and will most likely die.

Want to learn more about shrubs? Read our latest blog, Top 10 Wildlife shrubs. Perfect for attracting pollinators and wildlife to the garden! 

Shop our full range of shrubs online.