Autumn pruning and how to do it

Autumn is the ideal time to prune specific plants. We guide you through which ones to prune and how to do it properly, so they thrive come the next growing season.

Autumn pruning and how to do it

Pruning the right plants in the autumn is essential for them to thrive and flourish in the next growing season. Removing dead wood and cutting back healthy growth are some of the most beneficial things you can do to plants. It encourages flowering and fruiting, controls growth and helps keep your plants in shape. 

Some plants benefit the most when pruned in autumn. For others, it's best to prune in summer or, as with apple and pear trees, to wait until winter. In this blog, we guide you through what plants benefit from autumn pruning, the tools you’ll need and how to do it properly, so your plants thrive the following year. 

What needs pruning in the autumn?

You can prune the following plants during autumn:

  • Fruit bushes like blackcurrants, blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries and red currants benefit from autumnal pruning. 
  • Mediterranean shrubs such as Lavender, Rosemary, Olive trees, and Agapanthus should be pruned between September and late November. 
  • Yew hedges are best pruned in autumn to help promote growth in the spring. 
  • Deciduous ornamental trees like Japanese maple, Himalayan Birch and Liquidambar. Though the best time to prune these is in autumn, you can prune them in winter, too. 

The EGO guide to autumn pruning

The autumn season covers the time between mid-late September through to late November. When you come to prune, do it on a dry day when the temperature is above freezing. Pruning when it’s too cold can cause the branches to become brittle and crack when you cut them. If there’s moisture in the air, too, it can freeze and split these cracks open, leaving the plant susceptible to infection. 

Before you start, you need to make sure that you have the right tools. 

The tools you’ll need 

Remember to wear appropriate clothing too, including sturdy boots to help prevent slipping and falling over. 

Pruning fruit bushes

Pruning fruit bushes like blackcurrants and blackberries requires the least amount of effort. They’re also quite hardy, so they'll likely bounce back the following year, even if you accidentally prune too much. Here’s a guide to pruning your fruit bushes:

1. Remove 4-year-old and older branches

Soft fruit bushes produce fruit on 2-year-old wood. Once the wood gets past that, it starts to get less productive. By removing the 4-year-old wood, you encourage the plant to add new growth the following year, which eventually becomes productive and fruit-bearing. 

2. Cut out dead, diseased or damaged wood

Cut out dead, diseased or damaged wood from your fruit bush with your secateurs. You can easily identify dead wood as it will have no buds and be brittle. You can double-check by scratching away a portion of the branch surface and seeing if it’s brown underneath, which confirms it’s dead.

Damaged wood will be where the branches are rubbing or partially broken. Even if there are buds, the branches should be removed because they are susceptible to infection and diseases. These can then harm the entire plant and even spread to others. 

Lastly, diseased wood will have areas of rough bark that are partially or fully coming away from the wood. Even if only a portion of the branch looks like this, it’s best to remove it entirely. 

3. Remove any suckers and branches growing in the middle

Suckers look like single, upright shoots that are growing out of the soil and away from the main plant. You should remove them because they take away energy and don’t usually bear fruit. 

Branches growing in the middle of the bush overcrowd the plant and restrict airflow through the middle. These conditions can encourage the growth of diseases caused by bacteria and fungi. To prevent this, identify the branches growing in the middle and remove them so only the outer branches of the fruit bush remain. 

Pruning shrubs and ornamental trees 

When pruning shrubs and ornamental trees in autumn, a lot of the same principles apply:

  • If the tree shrub bears fruit, remove 4-year-old wood and older.
  • Any dead, diseased or damaged wood should be cut out.
  • Suckers should be cut as close to the ground as possible and removed.
  • Any branches growing in the middle, overcrowding or rubbing other branches should be cut out.

Ornamental trees and shrubs may have some branches and limbs that need to be removed. The best tool for this is either a pole saw or chainsaw, depending on the branch's location, size and thickness. 

A pole saw is best used for pruning small to medium-sized branches, or, if using the EGO PSX2500 telescopic pole saw multi-tool attachment, branches up to 20cm in diameter. The tool is also ideal for reaching high branches without a ladder, so it’s a safe option too. 

When you need to cut a large limb or branch, an EGO cordless chainsaw comes in handy. Each saw has a different bar size, so no matter what needs cutting, there’s an EGO battery chainsaw to suit:

Yew hedges

When pruning woody hedges like Yew, ensure your secateurs and hedge trimmer are sharp. If they’re blunt, they leave frayed and bruised cuts instead of clean ones. This will cause plant problems, such as increased disease susceptibility and rot. 

To prune your Yew hedge, we recommend following the same guidelines as trimming a hedge back in summer:

  1. Have a guideline to cut to - Set up a guideline using some string that will serve as the boundary.
  2. Cut your Yew hedge from the top down - Start trimming your Yew hedge by first working your way down each of the sides, making sure they’re even. 
  3. Trim the top so it’s level - Trim to the guidelines you’ve set, cut so it’s flat and level across the top. 
  4. Round off the edges - This step is optional with Yew hedges as they can withstand cold temperatures, which typically damage the sharp edges of a hedge. However, to improve appearance and be safe, you can finish by rounding off the edges with a 45° bevel cut. 

Browse the EGO gardening calendar for more garden tips

Our new gardening calendar is organised season by season. Now you know what gardening jobs need doing to have a healthy and thriving garden year after year. 

Also, there’s plenty of information on maintaining many of your EGO cordless garden tools as you do your gardening throughout the seasons. Have a browse through and expand your gardening knowledge and put it into practice with the help of the EGO range.