Four plants on the 'priority list' that must be pruned in March to promote healthy growth

Spring is now here, which means the plants , trees, and hedges in our gardens are waking up and starting to grow. While this will add a welcome spot of colour and vibrancy to outdoor spaces, it also means certain gardening tasks must be completed sooner rather than later. One gardening job that needs to be finished this month for some plants is pruning .

Morris Hankinson, Director of Hopes Groves Nurseries , has shared which four plants must be pruned in March. The gardening expert claimed March is the "last chance" gardeners have to prune these plants as they need to be trimmed before they start producing new growth. He said: "March may be the last chance to prune many of your shrubs, hedging and perennials and is worth taking time to do to ensure your plants continue to thrive.



"This needs to be done before new growth, so it’s on the priority list if it hasn’t already been done." Winter-flowering deciduous shrubs, such as camellias, witch hazel, Daphnes, and winter jasmine, need to be pruned after flowering and before new buds appear. These need to be pruned now to ensure flowering for the following year.

Other varieties include Sarcococca, Holly and Viburnum bodnantense. These plants need to be pruned from January to the end of March while they are still dormant. Mr Hankinson added: "Pruning this group of plants will help to promote new, healthy spring growth.

" Some examples of summer-flowering deciduous shrubs include buddleja davidii, potentilla and hydrangea paniculata. Now is a good time to cut back these perennials and allow new growth to appear. Over the winter months, seed heads and stems are left on these plants to provide structure and interest to gardens and food and shelter for insects.

However, with new growth and flowers appearing in gardens, insects will be drawn to other plants, allowing gardeners to prune these perennials. Established dogwood should be pruned by removing old brown stems down to the base and then removing the leftover stems about six inches above the ground. The gardening expert said it’s also good practice to mulch plants after pruning.

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