Early flowering shrubs to prune now, and how to do it

As soon as the flowers have faded on certain winter and spring-flowering deciduous shrubs, it’s time to break out the pruning tools. Don’t delay, because these shrubs bloom on growth that will be produced during the coming growing season, so leaving this job for longer will compromise the amount and quality of next year’s flowers.

Flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum)

Flowering currant flowers best on wood that's no more than five years old. Cut the bush back by about a quarter, pruning to a bud or near to the ground.

Flowering quince (Chaenomeles)

On shrubs that are trained to grow up walls and fences, cut back all outward-facing shoots to within two to three buds of the previous year’s growth, then tie in new shoots to the support.

Forsythia

Forsythia varieties that grow large, such as ‘Lynwood’, tend to need regular annual pruning. Compact varieties may only need a light prune. Cut flowered shoots back by at least half, and thin growth that has become dense and congested.

Winter heathers (Erica spp.)

Winter heathers tend to become leggy with age. Keep growth bushy and fresh by lightly trimming over the plant, using shears.

Winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima)

Winter honeysuckle is a large deciduous shrub. Remove the oldest stems near to the base of the shrub, to encourage regular production of new and productive growth. If large branches have arched over, prune them back to where younger, vigorous shoots have developed, usually where the stems bend.

Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum)

Winter jasmine produces lots of thin-stemmed new growth which, if not trimmed, smothers older growth and results in a large, untidy, dead-centred shrub. Prune side shoots back close to the main branches, to where new growth is starting to emerge.

Witch hazel (Hamamelis)

Witch hazel can become straggly. To prevent this, shorten any leggy shoots by cutting back to just above a strong pair of buds. Take care to retain a natural-looking overall shape by varying the length of the pruning cuts.

Tips for success

• Always cut out dead, diseased or damaged material. Once this is out of the way, it’ll be easier to see what formative pruning needs doing.
• Having the right tools, with the blades kept clean and sharp, makes the job so much easier and gives better results, too. A small pruning saw with a curved blade is great for cutting thick stems and is especially good where growth is crowded.
• Loppers are good for medium thick stems, and secateurs for thinner growth. Shears are handy if you have a lot of thin growth to tackle.