Spring already? Say it ain’t so

Spring already? Please say it ain’t so, where was the snow, the cold weather, snowmageddon, well where was it? Is winter over already? Who knows other than Mother Nature herself, and she ain’t talking to me.

Below is a finely constructed piece of reading by Bob Westerfield, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Horticulturist and Sharon Dowdy, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Public Relations Coordinator.

Bob and Sharon share some heavy thoughts on the science and/or art of pruning our beloved trees, shrubs, and whatever else gets in the way…

Oh, one last item before I turn you lose, Saturday, March 4 starting at 11 a.m. Terry Paige, International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist for the City of Rome, and me yours truly will be holding a pruning clinic at the Rome-Floyd Library, please come join us.

There’s no one-size-fits-all pruning rule; it’s as much a science as it is an art. There are, however, some basic techniques that can help novice gardeners avoid mistakes that can cause their shrubs lasting damage.

“The keys to proper pruning are timing, technique and the right equipment,” said Westerfield. “Go slow, be selective and don’t prune angry.”

It can be therapeutic to start lopping off tree limbs left and right, but pruning is not the time to work out your anger issues. Gardeners need to know what to prune and what to leave alone until spring.

When to Prune The time to prune summer-blooming plants and most woody ornamentals is January through early March.

These include: Beautyberry, Camellia, Chaste tree (Vitex), Cranberrybush (Viburnum), Crape myrtle, Floribunda roses, Fragrant tea olive, Glossy abelia, Goldenrain tree, Grandiflora roses, Japanese barberry, Japanese spirea, Mimosa, Nandina, Rose of Sharon (Althea), Sourwood, ‘Anthony Waterer’ spirea, Sweetshrub, and several other summer bloomers.

You need to prune spring-flowering plants like azalea, forsythia and dogwood soon after they bloom.

“Of course, if you see dead plant material, you can prune that off any time of year,” Westerfield said.

Pruning is often necessary for your plants’ health. It’s a way to remove disease and keep your plants looking good. It can also rejuvenate older, overgrown shrubs.

Pruning Tools Proper tools are a key to successful pruning.

“Steer away from gas-powered pruners,” Westerfield said. “Handoperated shears work wonderfully as long as you keep your instruments sharp so they cut the plant instead of tearing it.”

Hand pruners are perhaps your most essential pruning tool.

“Buy the best quality you can afford and you won’t have to keep going back to the store for a new pair every year,” he said. “The draw-cut, or scissor, type is the most useful.”

The anvil-type hard pruners tend to crush limbs rather than cut them. Use lopping shears to prune small trees or shrubs, like crape myrtles, with a branch diameter of up to 1.5 inches. For plants with branches more than 2 inches thick, use a pruning saw.

Heading/Shearing or Thinning Now that you have the proper tools, you’re ready to start pruning. There are two methods: heading and thinning.

“Heading/Shearing is when you shear across the plant no selectively,” Westerfield said. “This method is normally used on boxwoods to give them that formal look.”

Use heading sparingly, as it causes new growth to grow back too thick, choking air and light from the interior branches of the shrub.

Thinning is more useful and will lead to a healthier shrub in the spring. Gas or electric hedge trimmers are notorious for causing thick growth at the tips of branches.

“Use thinning to prune out sections of the plant to allow more light and air inside,” he said. “The increased air reduces diseases and insects like spider mites.”

How you prune determines the shape of your plant.

“If you leave buds on the outside, it causes the plant to grow outward and spread,” he said. “If you leave buds on the inside it causes the plant to fill out from within.”

Let in Air and Light Westerfield reminds us to leave the bottom of the plant larger than the top while pruning so that the plant forms a pyramid shape. “If you don’t, you’ll cause a canopy effect, and no light will get in,” he said.

Make your cuts at a slant, too, and at a fraction above the bud. The slant will allow water to roll off the newly cut surface.

Don’t use pruning paints. “They’re unnecessary and may slow the cuts’ healing,” Westerfield said.

Complement pruning by going easy with the fertilizer, you can fertilize just don’t over apply. You want your plants to put any stored energy they have into healing, not into sending new shoots.