Most garden plants will benefit from some sort of pruning. The main reason why we prune is to encourage new growth, to promote and maintain a healthy disease resistant plant, and to produce more and larger flowers and fruit.

Before we even look at a plant, we should consider the right tools for the job. When buying tools always buy the very best professional tools that you can afford. I have been using a pair of Felco Secateurs (model 7) for the past fifteen years. If a blade wears out, I replace it. There is no reason why they should not last another fifteen years! Over 15 years, the £50.00 cost works out at just over £3.00 per year, -- not a bad return!!

To understand pruning, we need to look carefully at each plant, how it grows, how it flowers, when it flowers. When we aceive this understanding, we are then able to manipulate plants to produce larger flowers, brighter stems, and even alter flowering times. Easier said than done? well yes, pruning can be a very daunting task, but stick to some basic rules, know how each plant grows and with a bit of practise, even pruning an overgrown 100 year old Wisteria will be no problem.