|  |
          
 |  |
  |
 |
 
Clipping technique
Clip a hedge so that its sides slope inwards very slightly. This is called a ‘batter’ and stops the hedge being top-heavy and splitting open. It also makes it look nicer.
|
|
Start at the bottom and slope your shears/hedge-trimmers slightly inwards to get the angle and just follow the line upwards.
|
|
Use ladders, special platforms and a residual current device (RCD) where appropriate. It is easier to chop through an electric cable than you think!
|
| Pruning trees and shrubs
Some plants hardly ever need pruning, whilst others such as roses, some clematis and spring-flowering shrubs, need an annual haircut. There are a few dos and don’ts that are worth getting straight.
|
Where to cut
Do - cut about 5mm above a leaf joint or ‘bud’. That’s where the next shoot will grow from.
|
|
Do - prune just above a bud that faces the direction you want the new shoot to grow in – usually outwards and/or upwards.
|
|
Do – cut an angle that slopes gently away from a single bud; and for paired buds cut straight across.This minimises the risk of infection
|
|
Do - remember that the harder you generally prune a plant in the winter, the more growth you encourage.
|
|
¶Ù´Ç²Ô’t - cut so close that you damage the bud, or so far away that you’ll be left with a short dead stub.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
