Winter is just around the corner, but work in the garden hasn't stopped yet – in fact, there are several plants to prune in November if you want to see your garden thrive next year.
Pruning is one of the top jobs to do in the garden in November, and it's the perfect opportunity to sharpen your secateurs and get your garden in shape before winter arrives.
And with low temperatures forecast and December fast approaching, you'll need to get cracking.
Plants to prune in November
November is a great month for pruning.
'When the weather is colder, trees, bushes and other plants recover quicker, because they experience less shock,' explains Chris Cooper, senior product marketing manager at Hayter.
And that's not all. 'It’s also worth mentioning that it’s easier to prune with accuracy in colder months,' Chris continues. 'Branches are more brittle in cold weather, making them easier to cut with tools. It’s also easier to make precise incisions, as there is less blooming foliage in the way.'
We've rounded up four plants to prune in November to encourage strong growth next year.
Pruning essentials
1. Acers
Acers – or Japanese maples – are stunning trees that can add a bright pop of colour to a garden. But if you want to keep your acers in fighting form every single year, knowing when to prune acers is key.
‘Here in the UK, you should prune acers during their dormant period, which is generally sometime between November and January,' explains Steve Chilton, garden expert at LeisureBench. 'You can also prune them from August to October, but pruning outside of these times can lead to excessive bleeding of their sap, which can weaken the trees and have a distinct negative impact on their health.’
You also need to check the weather before you prune your acer. After pruning, acers temporarily lose some of their winter resilience, which means you shouldn’t prune an acer when it’s too cold, and certainly not when temperatures are below 0°C.
If you're in the market for an acer tree, here's where you can buy one:
- J. Parker's: Enjoy the deep red foliage of Acer palmatum 'Dissectum Garnet'
- Gardening Express: Acer palmatum 'Orange Dream' boasts striking orange and red leaves in the autumn
2. Apple and pear trees
If you’re lucky enough to have fruit trees in your garden, November is the perfect time to prune them. In fact, pruning during their dormancy period is the best way to ensure a fruitful harvest year after year.
If you're wondering when to prune pear trees, you can start thinking about this task in November, and the same applies if you're learning how to prune apple trees.
‘In winter, the tree’s energy is diverted into its root system and away from the branches, making it the perfect time to tidy up the tree and remove any dead or diseased branches,' says Harry Bodell, gardening expert at PriceYourJob.co.uk.
If you're wondering why pruning is so important (if pruning fruit trees for a better harvest wasn't reason enough), it also promotes strong health.
'Basic pruning will aid air circulation and good light to encourage healthy growth,' explains Chi Chi Dunford, head kitchen gardener at Sculpture by the Lakes. 'You should also remove inward growing and cross rubbing twigs.'
Looking for the easiest fruit trees to grow? Here's where you can buy them:
- Thompson & Morgan: A broad selection of apple and pear trees to choose from
- Crocus: Choose from a variety of apple trees and pear trees
3. Fruit bushes
It's also the perfect time to give other fruit plants in your garden some extra attention, which is why it’s a good idea to add fruit bushes to your list of plants to prune in November.
Soft fruit bushes like blueberries, gooseberries and blackcurrants require pruning every year, especially if they’re more than two years old. Learning how to prune blueberries and other fruit bushes is relatively straightforward – you should aim to cut back any crossing branches, cut off any diseased branches, and prune one-third of the old wood to encourage new growth and new fruit next spring.
Although they don’t need a very hard prune, if you get in the habit of pruning a little of your fruit bushes every year, you’ll definitely reap the rewards.
Where to buy fruit bushes:
- Suttons: Grow Blueberry 'Bluejay' for tasty berries from mid-summer
- Amazon: Plant Gooseberry 'Hinnonmaki Red' this month
4. Deciduous shrubs
Knowing when to cut back shrubs isn’t as simple as it sounds. With so many different types of shrubs out there, you'll need to make sure that you’re cutting the shrubs in your garden at the right time.
November is the perfect time to prune some deciduous shrubs, namely hellebores and some types of buddleja.
‘Trim any dead or diseased branches from deciduous trees and shrubs during their dormant season in November,' says Steve from LeisureBench. 'It's also a good time to prune any overgrown or crossing branches in order to improve the shape and structure of the plant.'
However, you need to be careful when pruning deciduous shrubs, as not all of them are suitable for pruning during these colder temperatures. For example, tender deciduous shrubs such as plum shrubs and ornamental cherries are more susceptible to diseases when pruned during the winter, so check what you have before you get the pruning shears out.
Where to buy deciduous shrubs:
- Sarah Raven: Plant Helleborus x 'Beaming Blush' for delicate winter flowers
- Crocus: Go for classic purple flowers with Buddleja davidii 'Black Knight'
FAQs
Is November too late to trim hedges?
It’s usually not too late if you have deciduous hedges, but again, that depends on the specific species. According to Monty Don, the best time to cut hedges is early autumn, but most deciduous hedges can tolerate trimming in November, too. As always, research the particular type of hedge you have before you pull out the secateurs.
What plants are best pruned in winter?
If you're wondering which plants you should cut back in winter, the list is surprisingly long.
That's because many plants, like roses, enter a period of dormancy during the winter. Trimming them before they begin growing again will encourage healthy, open growth in the spring.
Many herbaceous perennials can also be pruned in the autumn. 'Trim back herbaceous perennials, like hostas and delphiniums, leaving the seed heads for wildlife,' says Morris Hankinson, managing director of Hopes Grove Nurseries.
Which plants will you be pruning this month?
