Pruning calendar: what to prune each month
A month-by-month list of pruning jobs for UK gardens, from winter apple pruning to the late-summer hedge trim. Each job names the lesson in Pruning made simple that explains it.
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Three rules for any month
The flowering ruleFlowers on last year's stems (spring, early summer): prune straight after flowering. Flowers on this year's stems (late summer, autumn): prune in early spring.
The three Ds, any timeDead, diseased and damaged growth can come out whenever you see it. Bin diseased prunings.
NeverPlums and cherries in winter; birches and maples from late winter into spring; in hard frost; hedges with an active nest.
Jump to: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
Timings are for an average UK garden: a week or two earlier in the mild south and west, later in the north and in cold, exposed gardens. When in doubt, wait for the plant: watch when it flowers.
January
| Plant or job | What to do | Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Apples and pears | Winter pruning while dormant: dead, diseased and crossing branches out, open the centre, no more than 10–20% of the canopy. | Fruit trees |
| Wisteria | Shorten last summer's pruned shoots to 2–3 buds. | Hydrangeas and wisteria |
| Climbing roses | Shorten flowered sideshoots by about two-thirds and tie in new stems. | Roses |
| Overgrown deciduous shrubs | Renovation, year by year: a third of the old stems at a time. | Spring and early-summer shrubs |
| Overgrown deciduous hedges | Renovate in midwinter: one side this year, the other side next, then the height. | Hedges, trees and the law |
February
| Plant or job | What to do | Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Bush roses (hybrid tea, floribunda) | From mid-February in the south: 1–2 oldest stems at the base, the rest by a third to a half, to an outward bud. | Roses |
| Clematis, groups 2 and 3 | Group 3: all stems to the lowest healthy buds, 15–30 cm up. Group 2: back to strong buds. | Clematis |
| Dogwoods, willows, smoke bush, elder (group 7) | Late winter or early spring: cut hard, to the ground or a low framework. | Summer shrubs and coloured stems |
| Wisteria | Last chance for the winter prune to 2–3 buds. | Hydrangeas and wisteria |
| Apples and pears | Winter pruning continues. | Fruit trees |
| Climbing roses | Finish the winter prune. | Roses |
March
| Plant or job | What to do | Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Bush roses | In the north, prune this month. | Roses |
| Buddleja, caryopteris, Russian sage, hardy fuchsia (group 6) | Early to mid-spring, after hard frosts: last year's stems to 1–2 buds of the framework; fuchsias almost to the ground. | Summer shrubs and coloured stems |
| Mophead and lacecap hydrangeas | Now remove the old heads, cutting to the first strong pair of buds; take out 1–2 of the oldest stems. | Hydrangeas and wisteria |
| Paniculata and arborescens hydrangeas | Cut last year's stems to healthy buds, or to about 25 cm for bigger heads. | Hydrangeas and wisteria |
| Clematis, groups 2 and 3 | Finish by the end of the month. | Clematis |
| Plums | Early spring is one of the two safe times (never in winter: silver leaf). | Fruit trees |
| Apples and pears | Finish winter pruning by early March. | Fruit trees |
| Hedges | The nesting season starts: check carefully for nests before trimming. | Hedges, trees and the law |
April
| Plant or job | What to do | Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Group 6 shrubs | Finish by mid-spring. | Summer shrubs and coloured stems |
| Escallonia, hebe, rosemary (group 9) | Light pruning in mid to late spring. | Evergreens, lavender and conifers |
| Forsythia, flowering currant (group 2) | Straight after flowering: flowered stems back to strong young shoots. | Spring and early-summer shrubs |
| Clematis, group 1 (montana, alpina, armandii) | No regular pruning; tidy after flowering if needed. | Clematis |
| Overgrown evergreen shrubs and hedges | Mid-spring is the time for renovation. | Hedges, trees and the law |
| Conifers | Trim green growth only, little and often through the growing season. | Evergreens, lavender and conifers |
May
| Plant or job | What to do | Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Spring shrubs after flowering | Group 2: up to 1 in 5 old stems at the base. Kerria (group 3): 1 stem in 3 to the ground. Prunus triloba (group 5): all stems to near the base. | Spring and early-summer shrubs |
| Camellia, rhododendron (group 8) | Mostly leave; tidy and deadhead after flowering. | Evergreens, lavender and conifers |
| Clematis, group 1 | Tidy after flowering. | Clematis |
| Box and privet hedges | The first of 2–3 trims this growing season. | Hedges, trees and the law |
June
| Plant or job | What to do | Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Weigela, deutzia, mock orange (group 2) | Straight after flowering: flowered stems back to strong young shoots. | Spring and early-summer shrubs |
| Clematis, group 2 | Trim again after the first flush of flowers. | Clematis |
| Repeat-flowering roses | Deadhead to keep the flowers coming. | Roses |
| Flowering hedges | One trim, just after flowering. | Hedges, trees and the law |
| Box, privet, Leylandii | Trim through the growing season, 2–3 times a year. | Hedges, trees and the law |
July
| Plant or job | What to do | Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Wisteria | Summer prune: long whippy shoots back to 5–6 leaves. | Hydrangeas and wisteria |
| Plums | Midsummer is the other safe time. | Fruit trees |
| Cherries | Prune after harvest. | Fruit trees |
| Climbing hydrangea | Trim over-long shoots straight after flowering. | Hydrangeas and wisteria |
| Yew and hawthorn hedges | The first of two trims (summer, then autumn). | Hedges, trees and the law |
| Roses | Keep deadheading repeat-flowerers. | Roses |
August
| Plant or job | What to do | Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Lavender | After flowering: remove the flower stalks and about 2.5 cm of leafy growth, never into old wood. | Evergreens, lavender and conifers |
| Rambling roses | After flowering: 1 in 3 of the oldest stems out; sideshoots by about two-thirds. | Roses |
| Wisteria | Finish the summer prune to 5–6 leaves. | Hydrangeas and wisteria |
| Beech, hornbeam, holly hedges | Their one trim of the year, in late summer. | Hedges, trees and the law |
| Yew | Late summer trim. | Evergreens, lavender and conifers |
| Birch and maple | From late summer to midwinter is the time to prune them (they bleed from late winter into spring). | When to prune: the flowering rule |
| Hedges | The last month of the nesting season: still check before you cut. | Hedges, trees and the law |
September
| Plant or job | What to do | Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Box, privet, Leylandii | Last trim of the growing season. | Hedges, trees and the law |
| Birch and maple | A good month to prune. | When to prune: the flowering rule |
| Group 6 and 7 shrubs | Leave them: never prune these in autumn. | Summer shrubs and coloured stems |
October
| Plant or job | What to do | Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Yew and hawthorn hedges | The second trim (autumn). | Hedges, trees and the law |
| Mophead and lacecap hydrangeas | Leave the old flower heads on over winter. | Hydrangeas and wisteria |
| Plums and cherries | Don't prune from now until spring (silver leaf). | Fruit trees |
November
| Plant or job | What to do | Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Apples and pears | Winter pruning starts once the leaves have fallen. | Fruit trees |
| Overgrown deciduous shrubs | Winter is the time for renovation. | Spring and early-summer shrubs |
| Tools | Clean, sharpen and oil secateurs, loppers and saw before the winter jobs. | Where and how to cut |
December
| Plant or job | What to do | Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| Apples and pears | Winter pruning continues while dormant. | Fruit trees |
| Climbing roses | Winter prune: flowered sideshoots by about two-thirds. | Roses |
| Overgrown deciduous hedges | Midwinter renovation, one side at a time. | Hedges, trees and the law |
| Birch and maple | Finish by midwinter. | When to prune: the flowering rule |
Learn the why behind every job
Pruning made simple explains each of these jobs in a short video lesson, with photos, flashcards and a checklist.