TIME TO CUT BACK: Gardening expert Reg Kidd says winter is a good time to prune roses in your garden. Photo: JUDE KEOGH
While we enjoy late autumn sunshine ahead of the coldest months gardening expert Reg Kidd says it is a good time to consider pruning plants and trees.
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WHY YOU SHOULD PRUNE
- To preserve the shape of your plant
- To restrict the size of the plant
- To encourage productive growth (particularly for roses and fruit trees)
- To remove dead wood
- To remove old canes from the base
WHEN TO PRUNE
WINTER
- Roses, deciduous fruit trees, grape vines and ornamentals
SPRING
- Spring flower shrubs and blossom trees after they finish blossoming
- Roses that only flower in spring, after they finish flowering
- Summer blooming plants such as fuschias, hibiscus, impatiens, plumbago, geraniums, abelia, buddleia
- Diosma, choisya, grevilleas lightly after flowering
- Frost damaged parts of plants
- Hedge plants
- Remove oldest canes from clumping bushes
SUMMER
- Spent flowers on shrubs and perennials
- NSW Christmas bush and bottlebrush after flowering
- If desired, hard prune roses to encourage autumn flowering
- Remove long canes on climbers like wisteria and jasmine
AUTUMN
- Prune unflowered hydrangea shoots to two plump buds, trim hedge plants.
FRUIT TREES
- APPLES - Remove weak growth and reduce overcrowded shoots
- ALMONDS - Lightly cut back in June. Timing is critical to prevent disease
- BLUEBERRIES - Remove old weak branches.
- CHERRIES - Remove some fruiting spurs every 3-5 years
- CHINESE GOOSEBERRIES - Main pruning in July, shorten growth in summer.Develop four main leaders and allow fruiting spurs to develop. After three years remove them to allow new spurs to develop.
- CITRUS - Remove lower branches to allow plenty of air around the base.
- GRAPE VINES - Prune to develop an upright main stem that branches into horizontal stems. Allow lateral shoots to develop every 40-50 centimetres along main stem. Each year shorten laterals to two buds.
- PEACHES, NECTARINES - Open centre of plant in first years
- PEARS - Shorten upright growth to develop horizontal branches
- PLUMS - Shorten long pendulous growth.
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