When Should you Cut Back Trees and Shrubs

Maintaining shrubs and plants is an essential part of gardening and landscaping. If you fail to keep the growth of certain trees and shrubs under control, they will not only start to appear unkempt and untidy, there’s also the risk that they may become a hazard, especially if they are growing near buildings or reaching over other structures such as walls or fences.

Proactively cutting back, or pruning, large trees and shrubs will help to prevent any potential accidents and keep your garden looking neat and tidy. Indeed, when done correctly based on the type of plant you are dealing with, the act of pruning can even help protect your trees and shrubs, making them healthier by removing dead offshoots and encouraging the growth of fresh branches and flowers.

However, knowing the best ways to manage growth is not always as simple as it sounds, and there is certainly no one-size-fits-all approach. Different types of plants require different forms of pruning, at different times of the year, to stay healthy, while different landscaping tools may be needed for different jobs. For this reason, here at Brandon Hire Station, we have put together this handy guide to help you when it comes to cutting back and pruning a series of common garden trees and shrubs.

Evergreens are an eternally popular choice for gardens across the UK, mainly thanks to the fact that they sport foliage all year round, meaning they can inject much needed colour and texture to landscapes even in the darkest depths of winter. Aside from their durable nature, evergreen trees and shrubs also tend to be pretty low maintenance plants, and only require occasional pruning to keep them healthy and looking their best. However, pruning and cutting back evergreens can be a little different than how you would deal with other trees and shrubs, especially when it comes to choosing the right time of the year to carry out maintenance and what tools to use.  

While it’s important to cut out dead, diseased or broken evergreen foliage at the soonest opportunity, regardless of the time of the year, general pruning, tidying and cutting back of evergreens should be carried out in spring. This will allow for the areas that have been cut to heal quickly and for new buds to develop before the onset of summer. It's not a good idea to cut back evergreens in late summer or autumn. Pruning this late in the year can leave evergreens susceptible to winter damage.

When it comes to the best tools to cut back evergreens, this depends on the size of the plant and whether you are dealing with a tree or a shrub. We would suggest using standard pruning secateurs when dealing with small, individual branches. However, if you are dealing with a large hedge that needs shaping, or a tree that needs cutting back, a petrol hedge trimmer or chainsaw may be required. 

Known for losing their leaves once a year, typically starting at the end of the summer, deciduous plants are another staple in the UK. Unlike evergreens, these common shrubs usually feature thin, broad leaves that tear more easily. Deciduous plants also tend to grow faster than evergreen trees and shrubs, meaning that although they don’t require a great deal of maintenance, pruning and cutting back may be needed more regularly than with evergreens.

Deciduous shrubs should be pruned, or ‘renovated’ as it is sometimes called, in either spring or winter. This ensures that the process of food preservation in the shrub is best supported and, unlike if you cut these plants back in summer, the shrubs are not left without the reserves they need to thrive in the winter months, which are stored in their roots.

While secateurs, loppers and folding pruning saws can be ideal when it comes to pruning small deciduous shrubs, larger deciduous plants and trees may require more powerful tools such as petrol hedge trimmers or reciprocating saws to cut back thick foliage and branches. 

Fruit trees are a popular choice for gardens and orchards alike. Not only do they create a stunning display in spring thanks to their blossom, they also can also produce fresh food for you and your family to eat. However, knowing how and when to cut back and prune fruit trees can be tricky.

It’s firstly important to note that most fruit trees won’t need pruning annually once they have reached maturity - they will typically only need pruning if they are starting to look untidy or if their growth is starting to pose a risk, as discussed above. If this is the case, the best time to prune and cut back fruit trees is between mid-winter and early spring, before buds start to form and when the tree is still dormant. 

Once again, we would recommend using pruning shears, loppers and small pruning saws for any light pruning that is required when it comes to your fruit tree, while tools such as electric reciprocating saws should be reserved for fruit trees that require more significant cutting back. These saws are ideal for removing dead offshoots or dangerous, thick branches that are a potential hazard. 

The perfect addition when you want to inject a splash of colour to your flower beds and borders, flowering shrubs come in all shapes and sizes and can be used to transform the appearance of any landscape. However, if left unpruned, flowering shrubs can become overgrown and start to look untidy. For this reason, unlike most trees and hedge plants, flowering shrubs require a little bit more care and attention when it comes to pruning.

As a rule, almost all varieties of flowering shrubs should be pruned after flowering. This should typically be carried out in late winter or early spring, before growth starts again. Renovating these types of plants will usually involve removing any dead flowers and cutting back to allow the new, healthy outwardly facing buds to emerge. Any other dead or diseased leaves or stems should also be removed at this point, and weeds that have appeared near the shrub should be extracted. 

Large electric or petrol-powered tools are rarely needed when it comes to pruning flowering shrubs, as these plants tend to be small and easier to work with. For this reason, we would suggest sticking to tractional secateurs, loppers, hand shears and topiary shears when pruning your garden’s flowering shrubs.