Garden plants to ‘never’ prune in autumn

Pruning involves selectively removing branches or old flowers from plants to balance the plant and let healthy, outward facing buds grow. Pruning can improve the appearance of your plants, promote healthy growth, and help with insect management. However, not all plants benefit from pruning in autumn.  Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Fiona Jenkins, gardening expert at MyJobQuote.co.uk, shared that while there are some garden plants that can benefit from some light pruning in autumn, there are others that should ‘never’ be pruned.Evergreen AzaleasEvergreen Azaleas, a genus of rhododendron perennial flowering shrubs, bearing flowers from March to June (depending on the variety).There are thousands of cultivars to choose from, with flower colours ranging from pinks and purples to reds, oranges and yellows. Fiona noted that azaleas should only ever be lightly pruned directly after flowering. She warned: ‘Any later and new shoots won’t have time to develop enough for buds to form. This means you’ll have little or no flowers next year.’READ MORE: ‘Ideal height’ to mow lawns before winter arrives to avoid ‘damage’ ‘You’ll have no flowers next year!’ Garden plants to ‘never’ prune in autumn (Image: GETTY)Jack Sutcliffe, Co-Founder of Power Sheds agreed with the gardening pro and shared that rhododendron too should not be pruned in autumn.He said: ‘Rhododendrons can add colour to your garden all year round. In the spring time they bloom purple, pink and white flowers, but these only appear on old wood so it’s important not to never prune them in autumn. ‘If you do need to prune rhododendrons, the best time to do so is right after their blooms begin to fade in spring.’Camellias With glossy, evergreen leaves and pretty flowers that appear in late winter or spring, camellias are an early season star of the garden. Flowers range from white and pink through to deep red, and come in many different forms including single, semi-double and peony. Fiona said that camellias are better left unpruned except for a little deadheading. Although gardeners can remove the odd shoot in spring, if needed. She said: ‘As Camellias form their new buds during autumn, it’s important not to prune them during this time otherwise they won’t be able to flower.’DON’T MISSRemove ‘stubborn’ brown stains from oven door with ‘miracle’ item [TIPS]’Biggest reason’ mice enter homes – ‘effective’ methods to deter them [EXPERT]Reduce your energy bill by £300 by switching off ‘worst offenders’ [INSIGHT] Established magnolias should very rarely be pruned as it causes stress (Image: GETTY) Hydrangeas should never be pruned in autumn as it hinders flowering (Image: GETTY)Lilacs are an old-fashioned shrub that displays multiple large booms in white and purple. These colourful booms fade over time, only staying lush for about two weeks.Fiona said: ‘You should take care when pruning lilac trees and bushes, as they’re another plant that grows new buds on old stems. Pruning lilacs during the autumn will prevent them from flowering the following year. And it will take them even longer to recover from any hard pruning. ‘Depending on the type you have, it should be lightly trimmed straight after flowering or while it’s fully dormant in winter.’Jack agreed as he said: ‘Pruning them is important, but if gardeners wait until autumn, they will be removing old wood used for next year’s bloom. You should only prune lilac bushes if the plant is overgrown and showing signs of old age and wear.’