What to prune in June?

By late June the first flush of growth is over: time for the first hedge trim, once no birds are nesting any more. Cherries and plums are pruned in summer.

In the garden in June

  • Trim the hedge for the first time, after the first flush of growth (late June).
  • Prune cherries and plums after harvest, in dry weather.
  • Prune mock orange and weigela after flowering.
  • Thin out apples and pears if there are lots of fruitlets.
  • Summer pruning of espaliers: shorten the new shoots.

In the wild

  • The lime tree flowers and smells sweet; bees hum in the crown.
  • Mock orange, elder and dog rose are in flower.
  • The first cherries are ripe.

Trees and shrubs to prune

Hedges to trim

Pruning guide by plant

For each plant: when and how to prune, how much to remove and what it means for wildlife.

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Laden…