New Pictures Action plan: Nigel Colburn's essential jobs for your garden this week

TIDY UP YOUR OVERGROWN HEDGE 

Do you have a hedge that’s overgrown or neglected? Well, now is the time to trim plants that regenerate readily.

This includes beech, hornbeam, yew, hawthorn and privet. Take care, though. Certain conifers —particularly Leyland cypress — cannot grow back from bare wood. Identify your hedging plants and, if in doubt, trim only the green, living material.

To retain privacy and reduce stress on a hedge, it helps to phase your work over two winters. But if growing conditions are good and the hedge healthy, you can finish the job in one.

British gardening expert Nigel Colborn, shared advice for tidying up an overgrown hedge, supporting saplings and how to move a climbing rose (file image)

Begin working along one side of the hedge. Instead of lightly trimming, as you would in late summer or autumn, cut deeply.

Aim to remove 15 cm to 20 cm more than is usual in warmer months. New growth will then be much greener and denser next summer.

When cutting deeply into a hedge, you’ll come acrossthicker, more gnarled stems, so make sure you have loppers or a pruning saw handy to deal with those.

Finish by cutting back the top of the hedge, leaving it 15cm to 20cm lower than the eventual desired height.

In the summer, the renovated side should need minimal trimming.

Cut the untouched side as usual but, the following winter, give it the remedial cut, if needed.

Thereafter, trim regularly to keep the desired shape.

WINTER BLUES   

Two winter perennials will benefit from special care now. Lungwort, or pulmonaria officinalis, has large, patterned leaves. When the first flowers open - any time now - remove any large, decaying leaves. Hepatica nobilis also has beautifullypatterned leaves, and new flowers can open in late January. When buds begin to swell, snip away old leaves. 

SUPPORT SAPLINGS

Strong winds can destabilise young trees, shrubs or hedges, causing root damage. New hedges are especially vulnerable, so support the individual plants with stakes (pictured), or tie them to a wire stretched between stout posts at each end. Check the supports of vulnerable tall shrubs or trees and replace them if needed. And remove stakes from any mature plants robust enough to resist gusts.

 PLANT OF THE WEEK: FICUS LYRATA, FIDDLE-LEAF FIG  

Fiddle-leaf fig, Ficus lyrata, has enjoyed a surge in popularity thanks to the latest trend for green, leafy interiors. Also known as the Banjo Fig, this West African native can grow up to 30 m high and 20 m wide, with huge, glossy, fiddle-shaped leaves. It thrives in indirect light, but dislikes being in an area that's too dark and will need a large container and high-quality potting compost. Apply general houseplant feed monthly between February and October. Prune in spring if the plant grows too big. 

Nigel also shares advice on how to deal with strong winds that can destabilise young trees, shrubs or hedges

READER'S QUESTION  

I want to move a 13-year-old climbing rose, Compassion. When should I dig it up? 

Also, it's pretty big, so how hard can I cut it back? Mrs J. Harding, Essex. 

Compassion is a robust variety with large, fragrant, pink blooms which are produced from June to November. At such an age, your plant will be difficult to dig out and may not transplant successfully.

Even if it survives, recovery will be slow. You would get far quicker results by buying a new rose and planting it around this time. You can buy bare-root varieties like Compassion for less than £20 from specialist nurseries, such as classicroses.co.uk. If you choose to transplant yours and it fails in its new spot, any replacement will be susceptible to rose sickness. So why not bid your old rose a fond farewell and plant its replacement in fresh ground? 

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News Photo Action plan: Nigel Colburn's essential jobs for your garden this week
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