Shrub pruning in Copthorne

Careful, plant-by-plant pruning for acid-loving shrubs, roses and overgrown borders in Copthorne.

Shrub pruning in Copthorne is a different game to a garden on chalk. The soil here is slightly acidic, so lime-hating shrubs like rhododendron, azalea, camellia and pieris are happy. Cut those at the wrong moment and you take off next spring’s flower buds. Before anything gets cut, we work out what each shrub is and when it flowers.

It’s hand work with secateurs, loppers and a pruning saw, not a hedge trimmer run over everything. Plenty of people find us by searching pruning services near me, and every bit of prunings goes away with us. Trees are a different matter: that’s arborist work, and we’ll tell you if you need one.

Shrub pruning in Copthorne: what to cut when

The rule of thumb is simple. Shrubs that flower in spring on last year’s wood, such as rhododendron, forsythia and camellia, get pruned straight after flowering. Shrubs that flower late on new growth, such as buddleia and hardy fuchsia, are cut back in early spring. Roses get pruned in late winter. Do it backwards and you’ll have a healthy green bush with no flowers. Most of the shrub pruning services people book with us are a calendar of these small jobs, spread across the year.

Rescuing shrubs that have swallowed a border

Older gardens in the historic core, round the green and along Church Road, often have shrubs planted decades ago that have since doubled in size. Fertile soil keeps them going. Rather than hack them to stumps in one winter, we renovate over two or three, taking out about a third of the oldest stems each time. The shrub keeps flowering, and you get light and space back. Many old rhododendrons respond well to this. A few don’t, and we’ll be straight with you if a plant is past saving.

Pruning in Copthorne: your questions

Anything else, just ring. You’ll speak to the people who do the work.

What’s the difference between hedge and shrub pruning?

A hedge is a row of plants clipped to a shape, usually with a trimmer. Shrub pruning is plant by plant, cutting individual stems so the shrub stays healthy and flowers well. Most gardens need both, so we often do them on the same visit.

Can you cut my rhododendron back hard?

Often, yes, though not every plant recovers. We’d normally do it after flowering and over a couple of seasons. If it’s very old or grafted, we’ll talk it through with you before we start.

Will you cut back the trees in my garden too?

No. We don’t do tree work, so anything bigger than a small ornamental is a job for a qualified arborist. We’re happy to work alongside one on the same garden.