Country & Garden: Weekend Work

THINGS ARE on the move in the garden. Before they move too far, consider what needs to be pruned:

Abelia: Cut out branches that have died back or been damaged through winter. Make the cut just above a new green shoot. On overgrown bushes, thin out some of the old wood.

Abies: No regular pruning is required but you must not let the tree develop a forked top with two leading shoots. Where this has happened, cut off one of the pair of leaders as close to the main trunk as you can.

Abutilon: On outdoor plants, cut back any dead or damaged shoots. Conservatory plants need tougher treatment if they are not to outgrow their space. Cut back the main branches by half and reduce all the laterals to about 4in.

Berberis: No regular pruning is necessary, but you can cut back long straggly growths where they are in the way. To rejuvenate old, overgrown specimens, take out one or two stems at ground level each year.

Bougainvillea: Best done in February, but if you have forgotten, act now. Shorten all the main growths by a third and cut back all the laterals close to the base. Cut out weak, straggly growths altogether.

Buddleia: Cut all growths back to within a few inches of the old wood.

Campsis: Hard prune this rampant climber by cutting back the previous year's growths to within a few inches of where they started.

Caryopteris: Prune strong growth hard back to new buds at the base. Cut out weak growths altogether.

Chimonanthus: Free-standing shrubs can be left to their own devices. Wall-trained specimens need some pruning. Cut back all the shoots that have flowered to within a few inches of their starting points.

Citrus: No regular pruning is required, but the heads of growth on standards may need shaping. Cut back over dominant shoots to maintain a rounded profile.

Cotinus: No regular pruning is needed, but you can cut out or shorten straggly growths now to keep the bush in good shape.

Eucalyptus: If you want to grow this as a bush rather than a tree, cut back all the growths to ground level now. This treatment means that the bush will only produce rounded juvenile foliage. Some gardeners prefer this to the long, adult leaves.

Continues next week