What Do I Need to Prune in December?

Gardening can be a fantastic hobby that can enrich your home and life in many ways, but it is also a lot of work that is needed throughout the year. Every plant needs taking care of but they all have different needs, which can make it difficult to keep track of everything. A good gardener will know what needs doing and when and care for their plants throughout the entire year.

What is Pruning?

One of the most important jobs that needs carrying out is pruning. Essentially, this involves selectively removing certain parts of a plant to promote healthy growth. Pruning can be used to remove dead growth, restrict the size of the plant and improve its shape amongst many other uses. There are a few different garden tools that you will need for pruning so that you can tackle small plants, shrubs and even trees. This includes secateurs, pruning saws and long-handled pruners just as a few examples.

Pruning in Winter

Pruning can be carried out throughout the year, but it is an important task to carry out during the winter months. Many plants are dormant during the colder months and this is the ideal chance to trim them back when you can clearly see their frame. A few examples of plants that should be pruned during this time of the year include roses, grapevines, fruit bushes and apple and pear trees. Keep in mind that you should not prune everything during winter as some plants need to be pruned during the other seasons.

Examples of plants that can be pruned in December ( Request on other plants that can be pruned in winter )

Grapevines
Autumn-fruiting raspberries
Wisteria
Fruit bushes
Roses
Apple and pear trees

Healthy Growth For Spring

When you prune these items in your garden back, it will encourage healthy growth in spring and summer while keeping your garden looking its best. This will also help to prevent the spread of disease during the winter months, which could cause serious damage to your plants and garden as a whole.

Pruning Tips

The key to pruning during the winter months is to make your cuts in the right place to prevent damage and to promote healthy growth later in the year. You do not want to prune too far away from the bud that the wood dies, but you do not want to cut too close to the bulb as this can damage the bulb. You want to cut slightly above the bulb and sloping away from it so that water will run off and prevent rotting.

Pruning can be a lot of work for a gardener, but it is a vital task for the health of your plants and garden as a whole. Once you learn what needs to be pruned in winter and during the other seasons, it will make it much easier to keep on top of everything and keep your garden healthy and looking its best throughout the year. 

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One day gardening courses especially created for beginners run in your own garden by the GardenAdvice expert gardeners. Available as a gift voucher for the gardener in your life. Become a gardener with the GardenAdvice Gardening Course. If you are new to gardening it can all seem a bit complicated at first with all the Latin names and the gardening terminology. GardenAdvice.co.uk have developed a especially designed short one day course to be able to teach you all the basic skills of gardening to get you started. The courses in your own garden cover such basic skills as pruning, correct digging methods, growing your own shrubs and creating the perfect lawn. See some of our clients our gardening course and our MyGardenTeam service on Instagram and the client section on the GardenAdvice website. For further information visit or gardening courses section.