Pruning your plants is an important thing to do to ensure healthy development. It involves removing specific parts of the plant, to help improve the growth and shape, as well as promote flowering and fruiting. While the task might seem simple to do, pruning is more than just cutting back a plant. There is both a right and wrong way to do it, and doing it the latter can cause significant issues.
Improper or over-pruning can lead to plants being vulnerable to pests, diseases, and decay, as a result of cut wounds that do not heal properly. Additionally it can cause a reduced ability to photosynthesis, and therefore lead to a plant struggling to feed itself. With all the damage it can do, an expert has revealed the “right” way to prune your plants.
Michael, also known as The Mediterrannean Gardener on TikTok, shared three tips to ensure people pruning their plants with secateurs “get it right.
The gardening expert kicked it off with the precise angle that gardeners should make their cuts. He said: “Number one. Always make cuts at a 45 degree angle, so the top of the cut slants away from the bud and in the direction that the bud is pointing.”
The next thing gardeners should make sure they do is cut above a bud. Michael says it is important the cut is done at a distance which is around a quarter of the thickness of the stem.
Michael last piece of advice also revolved around the bud – specifically to “prune towards direct growth”.
He added: “When pruning a stem, the bud nearest the top of the cut will be the first to produce a new shoot, so prune just above a bud that points in the direction that you want the new shoot to grow.”
And just like that the gardening expert was able to inform gardeners in under 30 seconds how to make sure plants are not put at risk when pruning.
This will ensure that your plants continue to develop well and thrive throughout the season, contributing to a beautiful and healthy garden.
