There are almost as many methods of pruning trees, bushes and shrubs as
there are gardeners doing it, so it is hardly surprising that it often
becomes an issue of keen debate between different practitioners. Joan
and I tend to do a lot of our pruning in the autumn while others prefer
springtime, it's all a matter of personal choice. When I am in doubt
about any particular pruning job, I find the RHS Plant-by-Plant Manual
'Pruning and Training'# very helpful indeed. There are several other
good publications on the subject and various aspects of pruning are
always welcome for discussion in this and other gardening groups.

My personal approach to pruning is to remember that much, though by no
means all fruiting or flowering takes place next year on this year's new
growth. I also bear in mind that pruning is as much about training the
size and shape of the plant and keeping it healthy and vigorous as it is
about having better crops or floral displays. My personal priorities at
pruning time a

*Cut out any obviously dead wood
*Cut out and burn any diseased stems or branches
*Remove or cut back any stems or branches which are damaged or are
growing at awkward angles to the rest of the plant
*Cut back any growth necessary for training height or width
*Remove old wood from the centre of the plant to let in light
*Remove unwanted basal suckers or side stems
*Clear up fallen cuttings, leaves and other debris from around the plant
*Provide any staking or tying necessary
*Apply a mulch of manure, compost or soft shreddings around the plant

# RHS Pruning and Training Manual by Christopher Brickell/David Joyce
Published 1996 for RHS by Dorling Kindersley www.dk.com
340 pps. hardback, fully colour illus.
ISBN 0 7513 0207 4
--
Alan & Joan Gould, North Lincs.

But have you seen the results of trials of late which show that many shrubs
respond better to a light sheering over HT roses included.

--
Art

Garden Web http://www.gardenweb.com
My Garden Web exchange page http://www.gardenweb.com/members/exch/art1952

"Carol Russell" wrote in message
...

"Alan Gould" wrote in message
...
In article , Carol Russell Russells@
queenborough42.freeserve.co.uk writes
But have you seen the results of trials of late which show that many
shrubs
respond better to a light sheering over HT roses included.

Yes, I agree that can be the case with some shrubs, and we sometimes do
light pruning, or even leave certain plants unpruned if they don't seem
to need it.

Well I belong to the school of thought: get your worst enemy to prune your
roses. I've just savagely attacked my climbers this afternoon. Mind you I
had to be able to get at the arches etc underneath so I could paint the
wood; I'm not normally quite so vicious. Anyway they hadn't had a decent
prune for 2-3 years, just the tidy up with the shears and frankly there was
a lot of dead wood etc that needeed to come out.

Anne

"Anne Wheeldon" wrote in message
...

"Carol Russell" wrote in message
...

"Alan Gould" wrote in message
...
In article , Carol Russell
Russells@
queenborough42.freeserve.co.uk writes
But have you seen the results of trials of late which show that many
shrubs
respond better to a light sheering over HT roses included.

Yes, I agree that can be the case with some shrubs, and we sometimes
do
light pruning, or even leave certain plants unpruned if they don't
seem
to need it.

Well I belong to the school of thought: get your worst enemy to prune your
roses. I've just savagely attacked my climbers this afternoon. Mind you I
had to be able to get at the arches etc underneath so I could paint the
wood; I'm not normally quite so vicious. Anyway they hadn't had a decent
prune for 2-3 years, just the tidy up with the shears and frankly there
was
a lot of dead wood etc that needeed to come out.

Anne


I also cut out the dead/diseased/crossing wood, its got to be good for the
plant in at least its early years.

--
Art

Garden Web http://www.gardenweb.com
My Garden Web exchange page http://www.gardenweb.com/members/exch/art1952