Prune four common garden plants now for ‘lush and healthy’ growth over winter
Before winter sets in, gardeners are being urged to prune certain garden plants for optimal growth next year.
Pruning in September can help to protect plants for the winter as well as encourage good growth next year.
Father and son duo Leonardo and Domenico Musceo, gardening experts on local services marketplace, Airtasker, have shared various jobs to prioritise in the garden this month, including pruning.
They explained: “Pruning plays an important role in the maintenance of a healthy plant and this time of year is the ideal time to carry out this process for two common plants in our gardens, lavender and rambling roses.
“Late summer spells the end of the flowering period for lavender. By forgetting to carry out this job, you risk it turning leggy and twiggy.
“Pruning encourages a more compact shape and promotes new growth, which helps the plant maintain a tidy appearance as it heads into autumn.”
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Pruning now will remove any dead flowers, helping it to look “lush and healthy” over the autumn months.
While pruning, it’s a great opportunity to propagate lavender from the cutting.
To do this, look for a straight and healthy stem which doesn’t have any flower buds.
The experts added: “For your rambling roses, it’s important to remember they flower on old wood, which is the growth from the previous year.
“After they’ve finished flowering, you should cut the flowered stems back by about one-third of their length as well as remove some of the older, woody stems.
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“Not only will this help to improve air circulation but it will also encourage new growth too.”
September is also a great time to prune any non-fruiting trees because the sap is slowing down and the tree is preparing for winter.
This means the plant will experience less stress and is less likely to develop diseases.
Acers can also benefit from a prune during September, but this is to help keep its shape rather than anything else.
If your plants are sensitive to the cold, it’s best to start thinking about moving them in the coming weeks.
This can either be in greenhouses, conservatories or under horticultural fleece.
Gardeners should also wrap up terracotta pots in bubble wrap to stop them from cracking in the cold.
