It seems that the most common question when buying trees or shrubs is, "How do I prune it?"

The more sensible question to ask would be: "How big will it grow?"

In fact, pruning can't do what most people think it can:
The height and shape of trees and shrubs is determined by genetics. The trouble with doing it badly is that it forces you into more pruning because your cuts stimulate growth.

Yes, there are plants amenable to severe shaping, those used for hedges and topiaries - yews, privet for example. But this is a high-maintenance game that most people reject in favor of a more carefree style of gardening.

The reasons for pruning woody plants are simple - to correct floored form (branches that are growing badly or rubbing), to encourage better growth, remove dead branches, and to thin out the canopy for more air and light.

If you have to prune a shrub three or four times a season, it is in the wrong place - transplant to a spot where it can get as high and wide as it's supposed to and then in its place, plant a shrub that's a better fit. Your garden is not an old age home for has-been woody plants, so just because you (or the previous owner of your house) planted a shrub or a tree in the wrong place doesn't mean it has to stay there forever.

It may just be "dirt" to us, but for your plants, the soil is home.

When it comes to flower gardening, good bed preparation is the key to success. Whether your soil is sandy or heavy clay, the solution to improving its structure is the same: adding organic matter, such as compost or well-rotted manure.

Earlswood offer several different solutions that you can use to improve the soil and structure in your beds.

•  Mushroom compost

•  Top grow

•  Poultry manure

•  Bone meal

•  Grow more

•  Horticultural grit

All of the above are stock items and there our friendly staff, are on hand to offer helpful advice.

© Earlswood Nurseries 2008