Gardeners urged to prune these three plants in February

The act of pruning can be useful to help certain plants be at their best by getting rid of dead branches and encouraging growth.

All of this depends on the growth cycle of the plants in your garden, which means certain months of the year will be the most optimal for doing so.

Gardeners’ World states that doing this correctly will keep your plants “productive and looking great”.

The three types of plants you need to prune in February

Late-flowering clematis

While there are a few varieties of clematis, the late-flowering ones are the type you need to prune in February.

These tend to flower from mid to late summer, and if they’re left unpruned, they will leave a tangled mass of stems later in the year.

RHS Gardens recommends cutting these back to the lowest pair of buds to avoid them flowering only above eye level.

Wisteria

Wisteria is one plant that benefits from a pruning in the late winter period (Image: Getty Images)

Wisteria is a plant that usually needs pruning twice a year to allow for optimal flowering.

Gardeners should complete the act in either January or February and then in July or August, according to RHS Gardens.

In winter, the plant will be dormant and leafless, so cut back the shoots that would have pruned in the summer to two or three buds.

This will ensure that the flowers won’t be hidden by leaves, and it will make it tidier before the growing season starts.

Buddleia

Buddleia is a bush with lots of clustered purple flowers, and it is known for its attractiveness to butterflies.

Gardeners’ World recommends to hard prune your buddleia in late winter or early spring, making February an ideal time to do it.

Pruning at this time of year will encourage strong spring shoots and result in bigger, better flower spikes.