Nick Bailey's guide to January pruning
- BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Published: Monday, 11 December 2023 at 1:29 pm
Get hardy shrubs and trees into shape now, with help from Nick Bailey. Plus he shows how to prune dogwood (cornus) for colourful stems next winter
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January truly is bleak mid-winter, with the garden at its lowest ebb. Deciduous plants are bare of leaves, herbaceous perennials are hunkered below ground, and little dares to grow. Still, while the garden is at rest and less demanding, it’s the ideal time to get to grips with the pruning of various woody plants.
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Many evergreens, including box, yew and holly are best pruned now, as their sap pressure is low, so they won’t bleed and lose valuable moisture. Pruning of evergreens can take several forms. Hedges may simply need trimming, while larger free-form trees and shrubs could require a canopy lift or overall reduction. Any older, overgrown specimens may benefit from hard rejuvenative pruning.
Some fruit trees can also be pruned now, before the month is up. The likes of apples, crab apples and pears can be trimmed to encourage heavy crops in the coming year, or they might be in need of complete rejuvenation.
Plants to prune now:
Winter is the perfect time to prune several groups of plants. They will all perform better as a result of a few judicious snips now.
Evergreens
Reshape, trim or rejuvenate evergreens now. They’re more accessible and their shape is easier to see when other nearby plants are leafless.
Apples and pears
Keep apple and pear trees fruiting well by pruning every winter. Shorten last year’s shoots by about one-third, to encourage new fruiting spurs.
Late-flowering clematis
Cut down late-flowering clematis to 25cm from the base. This stimulates strong regrowth that will carry lots of gorgeous flowers this summer.
Grapevines
If pruned after late winter, grapevines bleed a lot of sap, which can weaken or kill them. Pruning methods vary, depending on space.
Avoid pruning:
Magnolias rarely need pruning, but if they do, wait until late summer
- Magnolias: Pruning magnolias now would remove the flower buds. It may also trigger unwanted water shoots (vigorous upright growth) in the centre
- Cherries and plums: These are prone to the fungal disease silver leaf, which can enter through pruning cuts in winter. Delay pruning until summer
- Phygelius and penstemons: Leave the old growth on phygelius and penstemons to act as frost protection. Remove it in spring to encourage new flowering stems
- Early-flowering clematis: Wait to prune until after flowering, otherwise you’ll remove the buds. Check out our guide to clematis pruning for a helpful reminder
Step-by-step: Dogwoods for stem colour
Shrubby dogwoods (cornus) are grown for their vibrant young stems. These stand out particularly well in winter, when these deciduous plants have no leaves. Gardeners have traditionally chosen to prune cornus in January, but this is a job that I like to leave until February or March, to maximise the display time. The youngest stems have the brightest bark, so be sure to prune every year. The prunings can be used as hardwood cuttings to make new plants. Alternatively, get creative and weave them into twiggy garden sculptures or baskets.
Step 1
Have a good look at your plant and make a plan before you start pruning. Stooling (cutting very low, usually down to 15cm) is a simple technique, but also consider pruning not quite as low (maybe to 1m) if you want the shrub to be taller.
Step 2
Use sharp loppers for the thicker stems, to ensure you get clean cuts. Switch to secateurs for thinner stems, as they’re easier to use in tight spaces. Several new shoots will grow from each place where you make a pruning cut.
Step 3
Finish the job by removing any last whippy shoots, then check that the pruning height is even across the shrub. The prunings can be used as cuttings or twiggy plant supports, or can be shredded or cut up small for composting.
Also prune this way
This hard-pruning (or stooling) technique will trigger plants to produce a mass of basal stems or sideshoots that will create a fulsome shrub. It can be used on various other plants, particularly those listed below:
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- Willow can be cut to the ground in January to encourage new leafy growth
- Hazel can be cut to the ground every three to five years
- Elder can be pruned to 30-50cm tall every year to maintain its shape
- Buddleia can also be pruned to 30-50cm tall to keep it in check
Choose a height
Dogwoods can be pruned to different heights depending on their position. If you have one at the back of a border, you may wish to reduce it less drastically, to ensure the resulting new growth (which can be around 1m in a year) isn’t hidden by other planting. Specimens in mid-border or near the front are better hard pruned (or stooled) right down to about 15cm from the ground.
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