Pruning is an essential garden task and there are many reasons green-fingered Brits should take to the outdoors and get to work with it.
Indeed, this can particularly be the case after extensive downpours – such as those that the UK has been experiencing lately.
Many plants will have been growing very healthily in these conditions and cutting them back could help them continue to shine.
In an article for the Daily Telegraph, professional gardener Helen Yemm – who also lectures and writes extensively on the topic – suggested fuchsias in particular will benefit from this work.
She explained that their shoot tips are likely to have been nibbled away by capsid bugs that are now only seen on rare occasions – so snipping off the damage was advised.
This gives the plant a much better chance of survival, as it limits the opportunity for disease to spread. It can also bolster growth by preventing nutrients from being taken up by unnecessary shoots and leaves.
Slugs can also be an issue – Bayer Crop Science's Dr Richard Meredith recently told the Scotsman that the numbers of these creatures is likely to double or even triple this year as a result of the wet summer.
Chief horticultural adviser at the Royal Horticultural Society Guy Barter has also warned that these unusual climate conditions could have an adverse impact on crop yields.
"This current warm, moist weather, in the absence of a heavy fruit crop, will also encourage lush growth so summer pruning will help direct nutrients to the fruit and promote productivity for 2013," the expert commented.
Ms Yemm added that violas will also benefit from this treatment: "Perennial violas (eg V cornuta) that have been flowering for weeks and are getting leggy can be cut right back and given a liquid feed."
