Silver wattle: when and how to prune

Silver wattle: when to prune it?

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Straight after flowering, in April. Pruning later costs flowers: next year’s buds are already formed in summer.

What else to prune in those months? April

Silver wattle: how to prune it?

1. Cut flowered shoots back to just above a few leaves or a side shoot.
2. Remove frost-damaged, dead and crossing branches.
3. In a pot, keep it compact by shortening long shoots by a third to a half.
4. Remove suckers around the base, as low down as possible.

How much to cut, and how often?

• One pruning period a year: April.
• Never remove more than about a quarter of the crown at once. Better a little every year.

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.
• Silver wattle flowers in February–March, when it attracts bees.
• 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

• Fig tree
• Holly
• Olive tree
• Peach tree

Plant profile: Silver wattle · Pruning calendar and basic rules