What to prune in March?

March is the turn from winter to spring. Now is the time to prune shrubs that flower in summer, and keep an eye out for the first nesting birds.

In the garden in March

  • Cut back buddleia, rose of Sharon and shrub roses: they flower on new wood.
  • Cut down ornamental grasses and last year’s perennial stems.
  • Plant container-grown trees and shrubs, and sow a wildflower meadow.
  • From mid-March, check carefully for nesting birds before you trim a hedge.
  • Protect peach and apricot blossom from night frost.

In the wild

  • Blackthorn flowers white, even before the leaves appear.
  • Willow catkins are one of the first food sources for bees and bumblebees.
  • Forsythia and the first magnolias brighten up gardens.

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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