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The Independent
11-08-2025
- General
- The Independent
A professional gardener's guide to summer pruning
As summer progresses and early perennials fade, shrubs can begin to look unruly and hedges wayward. At this time of year, many gardeners feel the urge to reach for their secateurs. But what should be pruned now, and which plants are best left untouched? According to Guy Barter, chief horticulturist at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), now is the ideal time to "prune the last of those shrubs that flowered in spring, such as philadelphus, ribes and forsythia". He advises gardeners to "cut out a proportion of the stuff that has flowered". A productive pruning session would see a gardener "typically taking out one stem in three" as low down on the plant as possible, he says. Here is a guide to what exactly to prune at this time of year – and how. Cut back earlier flowering perennials 'Early flowering perennials often get mildew and you can cut them back as hard as you like, give them a good water and they will regrow and often flower again in September,' Mr Barter says. 'Other perennials like hardy geraniums can be cut back now and although they won't flower again this year they will produce nice fresh green leaves.' Prune evergreen shrubs 'It's a good time to prune evergreen shrubs because if you prune them later their roots have got to survive all winter without enough leaves. If you can't prune them early on, leave it until spring,' Mr Barter suggests. Coarser shrubs such as osmanthus, choisya, elaeagnus and euonymus are all suitable candidates. Clip lavender Once your lavender has finished flowering, give it a good trim with shears to tidy it up. You should cut off the dead flowers just beyond the base of the old flower stems, but make sure you don't cut into dead wood or it won't recover. Prune wisteria Cutting wisteria back to a couple of leaves in late summer will reduce its vigour and divert its energies into producing flower buds, Mr Barter says. Shortening the current year's green shoots to five or six leaves will encourage bud formation and control size. You will need to prune it again in January or February tidy up the plant, remove unwanted growth and prepare the plant for the next growing season. These prickly shrubs will have picked up a lot of growth over the summer, so the emerging berries may be hidden by foliage. If this is the case, prune new growth just beyond the berries so that you can see them and they will ripen in time to give you a dazzling display in autumn. Doing it now will also ensure that the shrub looks tidier and will keep its shape better. Shorten apples and pears 'They follow the same principle as wisteria, so shorten back new growth to a couple of leaves which reduces the tree's vigour, lets light in to ripen the fruit and promotes the formation of fruit buds,' says Mr Barter. Summer pruning is mainly for apples and pears trained as cordon, espalier, fan, pyramid and spindlebush. Do it when the bottom third of the new shoots is stiff and woody. Check hedges Ensure that there are no birds' nests in your overgrown hedge before tackling it in late summer, Mr Barter advises. 'It's an offence to disturb nesting birds, so if you're sure there are no birds' nests in your hedge you can trim away. Otherwise, wait 'til September. 'Virtually every hedge will be growing, like Lonicera nitida and privet, and they need a good haircut twice or three times a year, but doing one now is good. 'Conifer hedges like Leyland cypress or western red cedar (Thuja plicata) can be trimmed now but be careful not to cut back into old wood. Deciduous hedges like beech and hornbeam can be pruned now as well and will look smart all winter.' What shrubs should you leave in summer? Late-summer flowering plants including buddleias and caryopteris are best left until spring to induce new growth in summer, Mr Barter advises. 'Some deciduous plants such as deutzia or weigela which haven't taken off yet, you might want to leave 'til winter. 'When you prune in the summer you are reducing the plant and taking its resources away. 'If it's looking a bit weak and straggly, either don't prune it at all or prune in the winter when its resources are in the roots. Then, when you prune in the winter you get vigorous regrowth. 'If it's a well-established plant that is big and you want to curb its size, then summer prune because it takes more of the go out of the plant.'
Daily Mail
22-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I'm a gardening expert... if you see THREE key warning signs you should call a tree surgeon immediately
A horticulturist has warned Brits to look out for signs of a deadly yellow fungus that can cause trees to collapse suddenly. Japanese knotweed and bamboo infestations may keep homeowners up at night but there is a less known garden scurge that can be just as destructive. Honey fungus grows at the base of trees and can 'wreak havoc' in gardens and destroy property if not spotted soon. It has been described as the 'most destructive fungal disease in the UK' and spreads rapidly underground. The fungus can attack roots up to 30metres away, infecting and killing them before causing the dead wood to decay. Guy Barter, chief horticulturist at the Royal Horticulture Society (RHS), told MailOnline: 'Early warning signs include honey-coloured toadstools in autumn hence the name. 'The infection is gradual typically with part of the tree dying first, followed by the rest of plant. 'In summer affected plants succumb quite quickly over a week or two.' The only way to remove honey fungus is by burning the infected root or taking it to a landfill. Key symptoms of the fungus are cracking bark, an absence of flowers and more specifically, small mushrooms growing around the base of a tree. The honey-coloured mushrooms grow in clumps and can also pop up around your garden if the rhizomorphs (the fungus' root) has spread underground. It comes after a family escaped disaster by 'inches' when undetected honey fungus sent a giant tree in their backgarden flying. Lauren Gordon, 49, was letting her dog out in their backgarden in Herfordshite when she heard a massive bang and a squeal from the miniature cavachon. She said: 'My daughter thought she heard a gun going off. 'Everyone was completely bewildered and because it was very dark we couldn't see where it landed but it missed the back of the kitchen by inches. 'It wasn't even wobbling around it just fell and all the roots had come out of the ground.' Ms Gordon said she had 'absolutely no idea' there was anything wrong with the tree. 'We had a few tree surgeons over and apparently honey fungus has been growing in the garden for 10 years,' she explained. 'It runs underground so now we're concerned for all the other trees in the area.' She is now worried about what this means for the other trees in the area. Ms Gordon said: 'It's costing a lot to get it removed it's going to take days to remove it. 'We're very lucky it would have been awful if it squashed the dog or hit the kids.' But with the increasingly hot weather honey fungus could be on the rise across the UK because it is generally found in hot and dry conditions. So before letting your pooch roam free in the garden... check for golden toadstools.
Daily Mirror
09-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mirror
Gardeners told 3 major flowers will blossom early after record temperatures
The Met Office says that April's unusually sunny and dry weather conditions has led to a major shift in plant growth cycles - with some flowering earlier than expected It turns out we're not the only ones sunning ourselves under the unexpected hot weather – our plants are too. The chief horticulturist from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has said that there are three flowers that will blossom sooner than expected this summer. Over the past few weeks, the UK has shattered climate records. The beginning of May was the hottest ever recorded, with one London location boasting 29.3C. Meanwhile, the period between March and April 2025 in England is also the sunniest on record. The unprecedented tropical weather means that it has kicked plant growth cycles into early ignition. The Met Office has reported that gardeners will see certain plants and flowers blooming earlier than usual. Chief horticulturist from the RHS Guy Barter told the Met Office: 'Some vegetables and flowers may arrive a little earlier than we usually expect – perhaps by a week or so – and this is reflected in all five RHS gardens where species like bearded iris, camassia, California lilac and ornamental hawthorns are already looking spectacular.' Bearded irises, camassia and Californian lilacs are all popular flowers in British homes. They are bright, colourful and are able to withstand unpredictable weather conditions. However, they all thrive under sunlight and warm conditions. This means that April's record-breaking sunlight has caused these flowers to blossom earlier than normal. Guy added: 'While frost is still a possibility at this time of year (so keep your eyes on the forecasts, particularly when planting more tender crops), it is becoming less likely now and the next spring plants, such as the resplendent Wisteria, are less likely to be impacted. There are increasing clouds of purple in many of the RHS gardens thanks to the fabulous weather.' The Met Office has predicted that hot spells will become a more frequent occurrence in the UK, particularly in the southeast of England. Temperatures are also expected to rise across all seasons, in alignment with human-induced climate change. It's not all good news for plants, though. The Met Office also recorded low rainfall across April – with regions receiving just 56% of the rain expected on average. Rainfall allows for lower maintenance gardens, as you don't need to worry about watering them as frequently. Plus, rain is often a better option for plants than mains water, as it typically has a lower pH. If you're worried about plants withstanding drier weather conditions over the summer, gardeners have been advised to sow more drought-tolerant flowers. Many of these species originate from drier regions, like central America. Some options that can be planted in British gardens include summer snapdragons, blanket flowers and butterfly bushes. If you want to attract more cats to your garden, you can even try planting catmint.
Telegraph
28-04-2025
- Climate
- Telegraph
UK's first outdoor citrus grove planted as climate change bears fruit
The UK's first outdoor citrus grove has been planted amid expectations that such fruits will 'prosper' under climate change. Around 30 new trees featuring four varieties of citrus – lemon, orange, grapefruit and Buddha's hand – are being grown at the Ventnor Botanic Garden on the Isle of Wight, which has a climate that can be up to 5C warmer than the rest of the UK. Typically, citrus trees can only be grown indoors in Britain, with experts recommending home gardeners bring plants inside to avoid freezing temperatures over the winter. The Eden Project in Cornwall introduced an indoor grove but this marks the first time a significant number of trees have been successfully planted together outside. Guy Barter, the Royal Horticultural Society 's chief horticultural adviser, told The Telegraph that individual citrus trees had been reported in London 'from time to time', but nothing close to this scale. Although climate change is expected to cause 'much damage and distress' with wetter, milder winters in the UK, there are 'likely to be benefits to some warm-climate crops in Britain such as apricots, grapes and figs'. He said: 'Under climate change, cold winter episodes may still occur. This makes citrus, an evergreen, very challenging but it is likely that citrus will eventually prosper in mild frost-free regions such as the south coast and central London.' The world's most northerly outdoor fruiting grapefruit tree is currently at the Chelsea Physic Garden in London. Wayne Williams, Ventnor Botanic Garden 's head gardener, said the island's southerly position and shelter provided by a 'big cliff' meant its climate was 'very mild'. He said: 'It means that we can grow a much wider range of plants than other areas of the UK. We've had citrus fruits growing here for the last 15 years already. 'We wanted to extend it and make it much more, sort of, showy and really inspire people across the UK about climate change and show what's possible down here.' Mr Williams added: 'Prior to that, it was near impossible to grow them outside here, it just shows that climate change is happening and it's happening here. 'We can not just talk about it, but show people.' He also warned that fruits that previously relied on cooler temperatures, like apples, 'may become harder to grow in the future'. 'At the same time, warmer temperatures are opening the door for crops like citrus to thrive in the UK,' Mr Williams added. Citrus varieties being grown at the site including Buddha's hand, a unique fruit which is characterised by its finger-like tendrils. John Curtis, the director of the botanic garden, said fruiting olives and date palms were among other plants which thrived in its warmer environment – and said bananas could be next. He added: ' Climate change has enabled us to grow fruiting olives out of doors for years and now has ensured that we have fruiting date palms in the garden. 'We're now investing in the future of the garden and exploring the possibilities of other edible plants growing outdoors here in Ventnor, such as edible bananas and avocados.' The garden features more than 22 acres of rare and exotic plants, with the Isle of Wight's microclimate helping varieties native to countries such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Japan to thrive outside.
