UK pruning · RHS timing

When to prune in the UK

RHS-based timing for 11,687 plants, the law to check first, and why British timing differs from the American advice most guides give.

188Prune in late summer — the bleeders

Birch, maples, walnuts, grapes and hornbeam bleed sap heavily if cut in late winter, so the RHS times them to late summer or early autumn — the opposite of the usual dormant-season rule.

1,225Prune in mid to late spring — evergreens

Evergreens wait until the risk of hard frost has passed; winter cutting exposes soft new growth that a British cold snap then kills.

Showing 300 of 1,225. Every plant has a page — open any species and follow the UK pruning link.

6,699Prune in early to mid spring — flowering shrubs

Shrubs that flower on the current season's growth are cut once severe weather has passed and buds begin to swell — usually March into April in Britain, later than the February common in warmer climates.

Showing 300 of 6,699. Every plant has a page — open any species and follow the UK pruning link.

3,575Prune in spring, as growth resumes — everything else

For most plants British timing is set by the last frost, which runs from March in the south-west to mid-May in the north — not by the calendar.

Showing 300 of 3,575. Every plant has a page — open any species and follow the UK pruning link.