I'm a gardening expert - here are the 4 plants you need to prune this month to make your garden summer ready

Gardening expert shares the four plants you should be pruning this winter READ MORE: Gardening expert reveals 'cat repelling' plant that will make felines 'run for a mile' away from your garden 

Throughout the long, dark and seemingly eternal British winter, it can be easy to forget about everyday tasks in the garden.

We tend to neglect our foliage when we spend less time outside, and the thought of nipping out into the garden to tend to the plants in freezing temperatures is enough to fill anyone with dread.

However, gardeners say there are some tasks you’re better off starting early in order to get better long-term results, leaving your garden in great shape come the spring and summer months.

Gradening expert Paul Hicks, product and marketing manager at STIHL GB, has revealed which plants need to be pruned in the month of February.

Roses

Roses must be pruned in late winter, between the start of February and the end of March, to encourage strong growth in spring and summer

Speaking to The Express, Mr Hicks said: ‘[An] important gardening job at this time of year is pruning. Roses, wisteria, deciduous shrubs and fruit bushes should all be pruned in winter’.

‘Secateurs are the most popular tool for this and are great all-rounders when it comes to pruning shrubs and flowers,’ Paul added.

Roses must be pruned in late winter, between the start of February and the end of March, to encourage strong growth in spring and summer.

When pruning roses, you should take care not to make cuts of more than 5mm above a bud and should make sure that any cuts are made at an angle,

This helps to stop water collecting, which can cause disease on the roses if it pools in excess.

Gardeners also need to prune back any dead and diseased stems as well as crossing stems for the perfect summer rose.

Wisteria 

If your wisteria is looking messy, gardeners can cut down all the branches to the main stem or down to the ground to encourage the plant to grow new, strong branches

Wisteria needs to be pruned in January or February when the plant is completely dormant. You should also do so again in July or August.

When pruning the plant in winter, the shoots should be cut back so there are two or three buds on the shoot.

Doing so in the winter months allows the plant to concentrate its energy on creating flowers for them to be able to bloom in the spring and summer.

If your wisteria is looking messy, gardeners can cut down all the branches to the main stem or down to the ground to encourage the plant to grow new, strong branches.

Advice from gardening experts Thompson & Morgan says that pruning wisteria in winter ‘encourages the production of flower buds and ensures that the flowers won’t be obscured by leaves’.

Deciduous shrubs

Deciduous shrubs are woody plants – such as magnolias and barberries – that are known for their colourful displays in the autumn

Deciduous shrubs are woody plants – such as magnolias and barberries – that are known for their colourful displays in the autumn.

For them to bloom in full colour, their growth must be controlled by pruning them in the winter months.

They should not be pruned in the summer months as they may not have enough food reserves to survive until the autumn.

Jamie Shipley, gardening expert and managing director of Hedges Direct said horticulturalists should instead prune deciduous shrubs that have flowered over winter.

Mr Shipley said: ‘It’s best to prune winter flowering shrubs straight after they have bloomed to give the shrub plenty of time to regrow in the summer – bear in mind the exact time of year for pruning will vary from species to species.

‘Pruning helps to promote plant growth for the year by removing dead and diseased branches and to encourage the formation of new and healthy shoots.’

Fruit bushes

Soft fruit bushes can be pruned down to ground level in the month of February to encourage new growth in spring

Fruit bushes, canes and vines should be pruned in the winter, with side shoots needing to be cut back to just one or two new buds.

Soft fruit bushes can be pruned down to ground level in the month of February to encourage new growth in spring.

The Royal Horticultural Society’s chief horticulturist Guy Barter said this is the ideal month to prune fruit bushes to ensure the summer harvest is bountiful.

He specified ‘soft fruit’ is what you should focus on – so anything ‘shrubby’ like gooseberies or raspberries.