Pruning tips for trees and shrubs

Smart garden and greenhouse owners should have to do less pruning every year, it has been suggested.

According to the Daily Press, it is important to know how big a plant will grow and decide whether it is what you need before you buy it.

It suggested that choosing wisely can help ensure the plant does what it should and is fit for the area in which it is growing.

Gardeners who buy small plants should find that they begin to noticeably grow in their third year and should space them accordingly.

Those who cram them together could eventually end up with overcrowding and roots that are a threat to surrounding buildings.

Shrubs should be sheared into balls as cubes are a hospitable environment for pests and look awkward, the newspaper suggested.

"The best pruning practices remove only rubbing, crossing, diseased, dead and dying plant material – even on crape myrtles and shrub roses," the publication advised.

Meanwhile, the St Helen Star recently gave gardeners tips for choosing someone to look after their green space.