Carol Klein explains the importance of judicious pruning
Autumn is a busy season in the pruning calendar, the perfect time to remove old growth to get plants into shape.
Garden plants that have played a starring role in borders in summer will need tidying up in autumn – cut back dead stems and top growth to prevent fungal diseases from setting in.
Sarah Raven has shared what gardening jobs need to be done before the end of September.
This included which plants need pruning and tidied up, and how they should be pruned.
She said: “September is a busy time in the garden. Things can quickly change from summer to the onset of winter, so if you are organised you can really get on top of jobs now to save time and work next spring and to prevent having to work in colder, harsher conditions.”
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1. Dahlias
The first plant that can be pruned or just deadheaded in September is dahlias.
The dahlia is a popular garden plant prized for its beautiful blooms. If gardeners prune their dahlias correctly, they can enjoy these showy flowers from the middle of summer through the first frost of the year.
In addition, gardeners may need to prune their dahlias to remove pests or diseases contaminating them.
To do this, Sarah said: “Cut all the spent flowers off to the buds below them. With a little TLC, they’ll keep flowering until the first hard frost.
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“While you’re at it, deadhead all your tender perennials – pelargoniums, arctotis, argyranthemums and trailing verbenas. This will give them a new spurt of life.”
Once pruned or deadheaded, gardeners should combine this with a feed of liquid seaweed or general fertiliser for an extra tonic.
2. Climbing/rambling roses
The expert claimed that these two types of roses should be pruned immediately, once they’ve finished flowering – and this is typically around this time.
To prune them, Sarah instructed: “Remove suckers from the base of roses and trees.
“Remove any fallen leaves from the base of roses to prevent the spread of disease.”
The key autumn rose care jobs are tidying up, removing spent blooms or diseased foliage, and pruning.
However, autumn is also a good time to plant a rose or transplant them.
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