Monty Don's Pruning Rule Takes The Anxiety Out Of March Gardening

This month’s gardening checklist includes pruning roses, which can help to ensure a bright and bountiful bloom come summer. 

In fact, according to gardening guru Monty Don, “The first half of March is the best time to prune any shrubs and climbers that will flower on new growth”. 

That can include roses and buddleia. Some shrubs, like willow and cornus, can benefit from pruning right now, too.

It can be a little nerve-wracking to hack back plants you’ve spent ages growing. But the expert is here to help: “I know that pruning can be the cause of some anxiety but there is only one rule to follow,” Don continued. 

“Always cut back to something”

The gardener said that when pruning, you should “always cut back to something, be it a side shoot or leaf bud. 

“Other than that, do not worry unduly about outward-facing buds or any such finessing.” 

This is in line with the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) advice. 

When pruning roses, they warn you not to prune more than 5mm away from a bud.

And Gardener’s World said that you should always prune just above a bud – neither so close that it damages it, nor so far away that water can gather on the stump when it rains and lead to rot. 

“As a general rule, cut above the bud at a distance of about a quarter of the thickness of the stem,” they wrote.

Why should you prune back to a side shoot or bud?

Gardener’s World said these spots of growth form “nodes” on the plant. 

And when you cut too far away from a period of plant growth, it might not have enough energy to regrow quickly enough. Then, you risk “dieback” and disease. 

“Also, by cutting above a node, you can manipulate new stems, leaves or flowers to form in a desired direction, as nodes form on different sides of a stem,” the publication said. 

They added that no matter what, you should avoid cutting more than 1cm above a node.