It's time to prune in back - gardening in winter
Now that the temperature is starting to drop it can seem like the garden can take care of itself. However, the colder months are a great time to get some really important gardening jobs including as pruning done. Here is a guide to getting the pruning done.
Decide on your goals
Deciding how much to prune and which limbs to prune can depend on your goals for the plants and vines in your yard. You can prune to increase overall fruit quantity, prune to increase fruit quality, prune to increase or reduce shade and prune to change the shape of a plant (such as pruning trees away from a power line). Each pruning goal will involve different styles and quantity of pruning your plants. You can then either research the required style of pruning or head out to a specialist who can come around and do some pruning.
Often if you are not a confident gardener getting an annual pruning from a specialist can improve the overall health of your plants and help them to look better and healthier. Long term you may even save money by having healthier plants that do not need to be replaced as often.
Plan for your green waste removal
Winter is a great time for pruning as you can remove a lot of last years growth and let the garden conserve energy during the colder months. However you might easily find that the amount you need to prune can overflow your green waste bin, so it's often a good idea to hire an extra bin to take on the extra volume. If you are not sure how much capacity you might need, then you should contact a bin specialist who can often give you a solid estimate of how much space you will need. It's often worth sizing up your bin size in case you go over the expected amount.
It's also worth considering if you will also be disposing of any non-green waste at the same time, as there will often be restrictions on the type of waste you can place in any hired bin. You may need to hire a mixed waste bin if you also will be getting rid of extra waste including household waste or old timber furniture.
Good luck with your pruning efforts. Giving plants a chance to rest during the colder months can often ensure the long-term health of your garden and make sure that any flowering or fruit plants have the best possible output in terms of quantity and quality.
