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October is a good time to prune for most shrubs and also for cutting back dying herbaceous plants. Pruning is vitally important to stop plants becoming cumbersome, tangled and unhealthy, however bad pruning can be worse than no pruning at all.
Pruning can be done in spring in some cases to encourage vigorous growth, with Cherry trees it’s best done in summer (to avoid disease) but as a rule of thumb it is best done in late autumn after flowering and seeding has finished.
Always use sharp sectateurs or loppers because badly cut branches help infections to get in as well as making an untidy wound. Be careful – look twice and cut once, it’s too late to put a piece back after it’s gone so be selective about what you remove and where. It is usually best to cut close to joins in stems so not to leave short stubby bits that later die back. Cut out weak and straggly growth completely plus any obviously dead material. 
In the case of roses it’s often best to wait until November or later even (but not during frost or snow) and these can usually be cut back hard. With roses, as with most plants, don’t forget that they will want feeding in spring to help them regenerate.
Regular and careful pruning is much better than a butchering session every few years, your plants will grow and look much healthier as a result.
Luke Eastwood is Head Gardener at Seafield Spa Hotel & Golf Course, Ballymoney.
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