Light pruning for health

Nearly all woody plants develop little problems that can lead to big diseases or unwanted growth. Careful cuts throughout the year go a long way to ensure healthier plants. Keep a quality pair of clippers in your back pocket while in the garden so you can correct these unhealthy conditions with a kindly cut.
Remove any part of the plant that looks diseased before it can spread. Remove dead twigs and branches so these don’t become pest entry points. If branches are crossed or touching, remove the smaller one because friction creates wounds which invites problems. Trim off whip-like sucker growth originating at the base of the trunk so it doesn’t ‘suck’ growth energy from the rest of the tree. Do not prune later in the summer. Allow shoots to mature and prune again in winter.

Pruning the natural way

Unless you desire a formal garden, no plant looks natural when it’s shaped into a ball or box. Each species has its own natural beauty, and pruning should enhance this form not fight it. Woody plants that must be cut back for size or shape should be done in a natural way, by working from the inside out. Strive to retain enough outer foliage so that each cut is cloaked in leaves.

Pruning deciduous flowering shrubs

How and when you prune deciduous flowering shrubs influences the size and quantity of blossoms, or whether they flower at all. The key is to know when it flowers, and whether blossoms develop on the older twigs or newly grown ones.
Spring flowering shrubs blossom on twigs that matured the year before. They blossom so early there is no time to put on new growth before it is time to flower. These shrubs are pruned at the end of their flowering season to encourage more abundant summer growth that will support next year’s crop of flowers. Examples include Bridal wreath, Forsythia (Forsythia), Lilac (Syringa) and Flowering Quince(Chaenomeles).

Summer flowering shrubs blossom on new twigs grown in the spring. These plants are pruned in winter while dormant, which encourages a flush of new stems in spring. These in turn bear more abundant flowers in mid to late summer. Examples include most Butterfly Bush (Buddleia), Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), Spirea (Spiraea japonica), Beautyberry (Callicarpa), Japanese Mock Orange (Pittosporum tobira), Potentilla (Potentilla), Snowberry (Symphoricarpos), and Hydrangea (Hydrangea) varieties that bloom on new wood.
For larger pruning jobs, check with your local garden center for advice.

Recycle your prunings

Forcing Branches

 Blooming branches are one of the categories for next month’s Horticulture competition – and here’s a quick refresher on how to do it.

While there is some concern that this year’s lack of really cold weather may affect this project, two of our more common yard plants are great and vigorous forcers that should still work well. Forsythia (especially) and Flowering Quince are about as dependable as you can get. All you need to do is cut several branches that show lots of plump flower buds and put them in a container with warm (100 – 110° F) water in a somewhat cool location. Bright, but indirect, light is best. Wait about 7-14 days for the flowers to open. (Since you won’t know in advance how long this will take, consider starting new branches every other day during this period so you’

ll have a prime specimen to show!)

Branches from fruit trees (including crab apples) are almost as easy to force as those from the shrubs above. (This is a great time to prune them, anyway!) Give them a little more time (up to three weeks).  Azaleas and Rhododendrons, and other woody plants (honeysuckle, dogwood, spirea, redbud, magnolia, etc.) may well take even longer (up to a month –

or more) to encourage them into flowering. (Do remember to start forcing branches over a period of time, as suggested above.)

Some special treatments (see below) for your long-term and/or recalcitrant bloomers may be necessary, but success is well worth it. Good luck!

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– Cut (or recut) your branches on an angle. You may cut very long or shorter branches. However, if the stems are larger than ½ inch in diameter, split open their bottoms with a sharp scissor up to about an inch (or gently mash them with a hammer.) This helps the branches absorb water.

 – If it was below freezing when the branches were cut, immerse them (full length) in cold water overnight. (You could do this with any cut branches, but they don’

t always need it.)

 – Cover the branches in the vase (loosely) with a plastic bag to prevent them from drying out.

 – Remove any buds that might be under water and change your water regularly to prevent rot.

 – If you are trying to force a branch that you expect will take more a long time to show results, add some kind of floral preservative (recipes vary, but usually about 1-2 T sugar, ½ t chlorine bleach or Listerine, and some (3-4 T) acidic solution – such as lemon juice, vinegar, or 7-Up –

to 1 quart water.)

 – To speed up flowering (at the expense of how long blooms will last) put them in a location that is somewhat warm (over 70°). (Make sure to check that they always have plenty of water.)

Wouldn’t you love to have gorgeous flowers blooming inside your home when it’s snowing outside? It’s easy!

After this time (say, in snowy February or March?), start bringing the pots into the house. Place them in a warm sunny place and water well. In a few weeks you’ll have wonderful blooms.

If you don’t want to go to this effort, you can even more easily force paper narcissus (just in pebbles and water, with no cold treatment.) Or – just buy some hyacinths now and place them in the vegetable bin in your refrigerator (onions are bulbs too!). After a few months, you can force them in a hyacinth vase or other suitable container – a fabulous
and fragrant display to brighten up the waning days of winter.