Pruning is probably one of the most important gardening jobs there is to do each month, but it needs to be carried out properly and at the right time for plants to stay healthy and attractive.

When it comes to pruning, timing is essential, and so is knowing how and where to cut, such as trimming at the right angles and proper distances and lengths.

It involves removing the dead, diseased, and injured parts of a plant to maximise their vigour and aesthetic qualities.

Unsure of what needs pruning in May? Luckily, gardening superstar Monty Don has shared his monthly instalment for gardening jobs this month.

Unlike previous months when he recommended six plants needed to be pruned, this month there’s only one.

Monty recommends gardeners prune their early flowering clematis this month to get the best growth next spring.

The most popular of climbers, with a wide range of varied selections on offer, clematis are versatile, useful and often spectacular garden plants.

He said: “The best time to prune early-flowering clematis such as c.montana, armandii, alpina and macropetala, is immediately after they finish flowering.”

Obviously, the timing of this will vary considerably in different parts of the country but the principle remains constant and for many, “this occurs at the end of May”. 

Next year’s flowers are formed on all the new growth made from this period until late summer so “if you prune them much later”, you will be “removing potential flowers that would bloom next spring”.

Old plants can be rejuvenated by cutting stems almost to the ground but this is best done only as a last resort and should not be repeated for at least three years.

The expert explained that pruning of these clematis is mainly to maintain their size and spread for your convenience rather than for any horticultural benefit. 

So cut back freely, not worrying about individual stems or the position of the cut. 

Then when you have finished, it is recommended to weed around the plant, water it well and mulch generously with garden compost or bark chippings.