Clearing a Garden Jungle – How to Get Back in Control

Prune, Prune and Prune Again!

Clearing a garden jungle normally starts with lots of pruning ; you’re going to have some terribly overgrown bushes, shrubs, trees and other plants. Before you get to work tackling this though, look for any creepers like ivy or bramble and rip them out. If you can find the source, prune it back to a small plant if you’re planning on keeping it. Rip out all the roots if you’d rather be rid of it.

Start pruning once you can tell which plant is which. There’s no point in pruning if you later find out you’ve been cutting the wrong plant apart. Grab your hedge trimmer and get to work, reshaping your hedges so that they actually look presentable and will grow as a shape rather than a crazy mess. It’s best to start the pruning period in late winter or early spring whilst your plants are still dormant. It’s also far easier to prune when there are no leaves present during the colder months, especially when you’re tackling an overgrown garden jungle. This allows you to see how you’re shaping each plant. When you’re tackling trees remove any dead branches first.