Pruning is a gardening task many should look to carry out if they’re after a healthy and beautiful garden.

Pruning involves selectively removing plant parts like branches, buds and spent flowers to manipulate the plant for horticultural and landscape purposes.

From August through to December, pruning is primarily about the removal of dead or damaged branches.

Gardening guru Sarah Raven has shared which gardening jobs should be carried out this month – particularly what needs to be pruned.

She said: “There’s lots of pruning, deadheading and harvesting to be done in August, so if you’re off on your holidays make sure you get some help for your garden or plan ahead.”

Plants to prune in August

1. Geraniums

When growing hardy geraniums, it is mostly about pruning. When flowering has finished, pruning these back to ground level will encourage a late round of flowers in the latter part of summer and also fresh foliage too.

Throughout the season, it’s important to deadhead spent flowers to encourage new ones. Then, only when the last few flowers have faded should the stem be removed.

Likewise, if there is any leggy growth that’s looking a bit worse for wear, pruning back can help to encourage more shoots. This can lead to denser and bushier growth for more impact.

Sarah advised: “Most long-flowering perennials such as geranium psilostemon and geranium ‘johnson’s blue’ have finished blooming now, so cut them right to the ground and water to encourage them to put up more blooms as soon as possible and generally prevent the garden from looking frazzled and messy.”

2. Lavender 

It’s time to give hardy lavender plants a trim after their late August bloom. Pruning now not only preps them for winter but also promotes bushier growth next year and “stops it growing leggy”. You’ll know it’s pruning time when the flowers turn grey and the bees stop visiting.

For a longer-lasting display, it’s often said that the harder you prune your lavender, the better it will fare in your garden.

3. Alstroemerias

Alstroemerias, on the other hand, require minimal snipping, but Sarah suggests doing so in August. As they finish their first flowering, she recommends pulling the stems like rhubarb rather than cutting them.

The expert explained: “This encourages more growth from below ground to give you a huge second flush of flowers right through the autumn.

“Make sure stakes are in place too, as most alstroemerias are vigorous and will flop about in the autumn gales.”

4. Wisteria 

When it comes to wisteria, post-flowering is the time to prune. Sarah advises “removing all the whippy side shoots” from the main branch framework, leaving about five leaves from the main stem.

This method keeps the wisteria in check, stopping it from invading gutters and windows, and promotes the formation of flower buds over green growth.

5. Rambling roses

Ramblers are typically pruned in late summer, following their display of flowers and hips. However, renovation on these roses can be undertaken anytime between late autumn and late winter.