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Everything You Wanted to Know About Pruning But Were Afraid to Ask
Peggy Case, Horticulture Chair
A lot of people think pruning is so complicated that they could never master the first rule. It’s not. To get ready for the new garden year, here are a few easy rules that you can learn today:
1. Always prune flowering bushes after they bloom, especially spring bloomers. Bushes that bloom later in the year should be pruned soon, in late winter or early spring.
2. Always prune off odd-shaped, diseased, broken or dead limbs when you see them.
3. Always prune with your feet on the ground; if the project is too high, hire an arborist.
4. Every year, prune some of the oldest stems on your bushes down to the ground.
5. If you wish to thin or reduce the size of a bush or tree, take whole branches or limbs out, back to the larger branch or to the ground. Do this several years in a row and the bush or tree will eventually be thinned or a smaller size.
6. Be careful to not cut off branches or limbs too close or the wound may not close properly. New research shows that wound paint is unnecessary.
7. Most evergreens cannot be pruned back to old wood as most will not make new growth from old wood. Only cut the current season’s evergreen growth back.
8. Use proper tools and keep them sharpened to make clean cuts. Some books say to dip the tools in disinfectant after each cut.
9. Pruning is best done when temperatures are over 20 degrees to avoid desiccation by cold or harsh winds.
There is, of course, lots more information about pruning, but these few rules will get you started. For goodness sakes, don’t butcher your woody ornamentals by topping or chopping away at the branches. That makes them look terrible.
seed reports have been tallied and results sent to the participating seed companies along with current seed requests. Early Sign-Up for Seeds, done at fall regional meetings, means you will be getting some seeds soon. It is exciting to see what will come in the mail, especially when a package of free seeds is expected.
One of the advantages in being an OAGC garden club member is receiving these free seeds in exchange for planting and tracking the results. Many of our members always have new varieties in their gardens as they eagerly accept seeds at the spring regional meetings and plant them. When seeds are from $2.99 to $4.99 a packet for the newer varieties, getting a few packets from our Gardening for Excellence Program is a real bargain.
If you have not tried raising some garden plants from seed, make this the year you do. If you are a traveler and haven't the time to oversee their care during the early months, designate a friend with a greenhouse to start them for you. A few e-mails back and forth while you are away will keep you apprised of their progress. The miracle of starting seeds is a great way to brighten your day.