Gardeners are being urged to avoid pruning certain popular plants this January, as cutting them back during winter could remove flower buds and ruin summer displays. While many plants benefit from winter pruning, spring-flowering shrubs and some evergreens should be left untouched until later in the year.
Colin Potts, gardening expert at Artificial Grass Direct, said: "Winter is when good gardens are made or quietly ruined. The jobs people do now have a huge impact on how their garden looks and grows for the rest of the year." He warned that spring-flowering shrubs such as forsythia, lilac, camellia, rhododendron, azalea, magnolia and flowering currant form their flower buds the previous year, so pruning in winter removes those buds and results in little or no spring display.
Hydrangeas, particularly mophead and lacecap varieties, are another "frequent casualty" of winter pruning. These bloom on old wood, meaning winter trimming can "wipe out summer blooms entirely". Potts advised limiting winter work to removing only dead or damaged stems.
Evergreen shrubs like laurel, box and holly should also be left alone during winter, as pruning in cold weather can cause unsightly browning, frost damage and increased susceptibility to disease. These recover far better when pruned in late spring or summer.
Certain trees, including maple, birch, walnut and cherry, are best left unpruned because they can bleed sap heavily if cut during winter or early spring, weakening the tree and raising the risk of infection. Potts cautioned that one of the "biggest mistakes" gardeners make is assuming winter pruning suits all plants. If a plant blooms early in the season or you are unsure of its type, the safest approach is typically to avoid pruning altogether.
