HERE at Tatton, the riot of spring and summer is nearly over and the growth of these few months is basking in the summer sun.

Everything is building up energy for next season, whether laying down new buds or creating fruit or both.

But as every gardener knows, growth is often not where you want it - for example, over a path or doorway or a growth that is crossing or hiding fruits from the ripening sun.

Do you prune it or trim it?

Well yes, pruning is trimming but to a gardener, pruning is a more informed, measured and purposeful term than trimming. I would trim something off a path or a long tendril of a wisteria, but to prune I would consult my books to look at the right time and the right place to cut.

Cutting at the wrong time can cause all manner of problems, most notable of which can be a loss of flowers for next year or severe bleeding of sap or loss of fruit.

Like all good horticulture, it's about knowing your plants, knowing when it flowers and what seasons the flowers and fruit will appear on.

It's as big an issue as any in gardening and the RHS Pruning and Training handbook is a must for dealing with this enormous subject.

But I will try to list as many tips as possible that will ensure good, well-shaped, good fruiting plants for years to come.

A planned approach to pruning is essential before you start. By making the cuts in a particular order, you can reduce the total number of cuts.

First, remove all dead, broken and diseased growth by cutting at the point of origin or back to a strong lateral branch or shoot.

Doing this opens up the canopy so sometimes no further pruning is needed.

The next step is to see if any training cuts are needed. By cutting back lateral branches a tree or shrub is trained' to be a desired shape.

Understanding the natural growth habit will often tell you when to cut.

Make additional corrective pruning to eliminate weak or narrow crotches and remove the less desirable central leader where doubles appear. Remove water shoots from the base if they occur.

Pruning can actually be done at anytime of the year according to when they flower and fruit.

Incorrect pruning doesn't kill a plant but can lead to reduced vigour and less fruit and flowers.

Don't prune at the convenience of the pruner, but rather when it results in the least damage to the plant.

Rules of thumb are winter - prune to promote growth, summer - prune (trim) to retard or contain growth. Avoid late summer pruning as re-growth will be damaged by frost.

Also, spring flowering shrubs flower on the last season's growth so prune after flowering and shrubs that bloom after June usually do so on shoots grown that spring for example, buddleia, many roses and hydrangeas.

So just when you thought July was for sitting in the deckchair with a Pimm's, get those secateurs sharpened and get out and do some pruning and maybe a bit of trimming.