Late winter pruning

In autumn and winter herbaceous plants will die back above ground. When you cut the dead stems and foliage back is up to you. Traditionally this has been done in autumn – winter. But many gardeners now choose to do this job in late winter – early spring, just before everything comes back to life in the garden. If the dead stems and flower heads start to look messy then you may want to cut them back earlier, but there are both aesthetic and practical advantages to leaving them on longer. The old stems tend to protect the dormant crown (from which the plant will re-grow the following season) from damp and frost. Also, some perennials with a strong structure and architectural form, actually look good even when the stems are dead, offering visual interest in the winter months.

Winter Pruning

In general, pruning should be done in autumn and winter when growth has slowed or stopped.

Pruning of most trees and shrubs should not be necessary for a few years after planting. After 4 years or so, some shrubs like Cornus and Cotinus may benefit from formative pruning to prevent congestion and encourage healthy new growth. When you’re pruning, do so with caution. Stand back every so often and look at the shape your pruning is producing. This will help prevent getting carried away and pruning too much out that you can’t put back. To produce a natural-looking outline, prune the weaker looking of the larger branches out at their bases, keeping the general outline of the plant but with a more open structure. Try to keep the essence of the plant’s natural form. In general, don’t give most trees and larger shrubs a ‘short back and sides’ type prune where every shoot is trimmed back to the same length, unless you are trimming a hedge or topiary shape – in this case this kind of trimming is what you are aiming for.