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UK gardeners are being told to prune four plants before November to guarantee better blooms after winter. Pruning is the key to a lush garden and is a vital step to take for the health and productivity of trees and shrubs. Throughout the year, trimming your plants promotes flowering and shapes them, manages wild growth, and minimises disease risk. Despite certain plants being off-limits for October pruning, it's actually the perfect time to trim others before the weather gets even colder. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE Before it's too late, a gardening enthusiast has shared several plants to prune before November arrives. Lindsey Chastain at The Waddle and Cluck - a welcoming centre for everything home and garden - has shared guidance on the greenery which requires cutting back immediately, reports the Express . "October is a good time to prune back many shrubs and trees as they enter dormancy," she said. "Proper pruning encourages plants to be healthy and productive. Be sure to sterilise pruners between plants and make cuts just above outward-facing buds." During early autumn, it's the moment to give rose bushes a cut by removing any deceased or unhealthy stems and shortening the remainder to between one-third and one-half their initial height. The specialist suggests that this "stimulates new growth and flowering for the next season". Gardeners ought to cut at a 45-degree angle, targeting just above an outward-facing bud. Come October, hydrangeas need tidying up by trimming the stems down to "just above the second set of buds down from the flower head". Lindsey emphasised that this action will eliminate the spent flowers and pave the way for stunning, fresh blooms. Gardeners are cautioned to be mindful of their hydrangeas' variety, as mophead and panicle types require different pruning techniques. Autumn is the time for gardeners to prune old, overcrowded branches on fruit trees, to allow more sunlight in. The expert advised that the best time for this task is after the leaves have fallen, providing a clearer view of where to make cuts. Lindsey suggested: "We like to use ribbon to mark branches before the leaves fall, where the foliage is the most dense." Then, it's simply a matter of cutting the branches at either the trunk or main branches at a 45-degree angle. For evergreen shrubs such as boxwoods and hollies, it is recommended to give them a light trim to shape, but "don't take off more than one-third of the plant" to avoid damage. Sign up to our Manchester property newsletter here
