Mediterranean saltbush: when and how to prune

Mediterranean saltbush: when to prune it?

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In April, once the worst frosts are over and you can see which shoots have been frosted.

What else to prune in those months? April

Mediterranean saltbush: how to prune it?

1. Clip a hedge to shape, keeping the base slightly wider than the top so the lower part gets enough light.
2. On a free-standing shrub, shorten overlong or wayward shoots to just above a side shoot.
3. Remove frosted, brown shoot tips back to healthy wood.
4. An old, bare shrub can be cut back by a third to a half; it usually regrows well.

How much to cut, and how often?

• One pruning period a year: April.
• Prune in moderation: never remove more than about a third of the shrub at once.

What does it mean for wildlife?

• Pruning in April can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
• Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.

Common mistakes

• Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
• Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.

Nearby: related pruning guides

• Garden orache
• Bluebeard
• Butterfly bush
• Californian lilac
• Camellia
• Cornelian cherry

Plant profile: Mediterranean saltbush · Pruning calendar and basic rules