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To prune or not to prune
lydiaann
Posts: 300
Do I prune now (which I normally do in February) or do I risk soil/ground compaction in walking on borders and lawns? Which is going to be most destructive to natural growth - leaving the pruning or walking on the heavy clay in our area? My shrubs (physocarpus, ribes, buddleja, cornus, etc., etc.) are desperately in need of their haircut but I know that just stepping on the saturated lawns to get to the composter or bird feeders leaves footsteps and damage.
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Could you leave it for a few more weeks Lydiaann till the beginning of March?
I've often left buddleias till late March without it causing any issues, and it generally won't do any harm as long as you're aware of any new buds etc when you eventually do them. I'd leave them a bit longer, but Edd's idea is a good one if you really want to do it now.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
agree with the above, but I'd certainly leave the Ribes as it's due to flower fairly soon. I'd prune that after flowering.
I start pruning Buddliea in March but stagger pruning as those pruned later prolong the overall flowering period by a few weeks.
There was an item about it on Gardener's Question Time and the consensus was that gardeners should curb their tendency to 'tidy up' until later in the Spring.
Cornus, if it has coloured stems, and flowering currant I would certainly leave until later.
Does the same advice hold true for mature 'mophead' Hydrangea? I've several bushes in my relatively sheltered, mid-terrace garden that are flailing around in the current run of near gale-force winds?