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Hello, friends!
It's late winter, and you know what that means: It's time to prune your trees, shrubs and woody plants.
It's important to do this while plants are dormant and you can see what you're doing. Wait until they leaf out, and your view of the branches will be obstructed. Worse, pruning during the growing phase will stress plants, because energy that should be used for growing and forming leaves and flowers will be redirected to healing. You might sacrifice vigor and blooms for the season, and the plants might not heal properly.
So bundle up, grab your saws (I like Gomboy) and pruners (I recommend Felco), and head out now. Unless there’s a blizzard. I wrote this a few days ago and didn’t check the weather. Also, I don’t know where you live. 🤷♀️
There are two types of pruning: selective and rejuvenative.
Selective is exactly what it sounds like: You select certain branches to remove, and you have a reason for doing so (branches are crooked and overlapping, broken, crowded).
Rejuvenative pruning is the extreme cutting back of overgrown, unproductive shrubs so they'll regrow stronger, healthier and with a better appearance.
There are three ways to rejuvenate woody plants by pruning: Sever the whole plant at the crown, just above ground level; prune every branch individually, at uneven heights, in one session; or cut back about one-third of the branches each year for three years. The latter is the least severe but requires the most patience. You'll need to weigh aesthetics versus time and decide what's right for your garden.
Most plants can handle selective pruning with ease; only healthy plants should be subjected to drastic rejuvenation. And when you're done, be sure to fertilize to help the healing along.
Here's a primer for pruning the most common types of landscape plants.
Broad-leaved evergreen shrubs (laurels, rhododendrons, etc.) should undergo only selective pruning. They're the exception in that they can handle pruning easily at any time of year.
Narrow-leaf (needled) evergreens should undergo selective pruning only. Always remove more from the top than from the bottom, which will allow sunlight to reach the base of the plant. Take care not to overshear or cut holes into narrow-leaf evergreens; with the exception of yews, they won't ever fill back in.
Hedge pruning has only one basic rule: The bottom must remain wider than the top. If the plant thins out at the bottom, the only way to correct it is to cut the entire hedge down to 6 to 8 inches from the ground and wait for it to grow back. You don't want to go there.
Thin-branched trees and shrubs should be pruned using hand-held pruners to remove dead wood, crisscrossed limbs and branches that are growing into the tree's canopy.
Branches with a diameter of more than one inch should never be cut right up to the trunk. That would remove the branch collar and create a bigger wound. Instead, use a saw and employ the three-cut method:
1. Cut the branch halfway through from underneath, a few inches from the trunk (A).
2. Move your saw a few inches farther out on the branch, away from the trunk, and cut the whole branch off from the top. (B) This eliminates the weight of the branch and prevents tearing.
3. Make the third and final cut just outside the branch bark ridge, sawing through the entire branch to the outside of the collar. (C) If you were to make this complete cut without having done steps 1 and 2, the weight of the branch would cause it to rip just before separating, and the tree would have a difficult recovery and a larger area through which disease could enter.
Next week, I’ll share important information about pruning lilacs, forsythia, spirea, weigela, clethra, cotoneasters, butterfly bush, and the ever-confounding hydrangeas (five types; five pruning methods — and how to know which type you have).
My presentation schedule is keeping me busy as a pollinator these days, and I’ve really been enjoying the opportunity to “meet” hundreds of home gardeners who’ve been attending my Zoom programs. Check my Events page for a list of upcoming, free virtual presentations you can attend via local public libraries. I hope to see you there!
📬 Ask Jessica
DEAR JESSICA: We inherited this plant and do not know what it is called, nor do we know what to do with the tendril that keeps growing higher and higher. It has leaves sprouting on it, but we don’t know if we should trim the tendril to encourage growth from the main part of the plant rather than let it continue as it is. What do you think? Thanks so much for your advice! —Kathy Schiavone
DEAR KATHY: It looks like you have a nice old-fashioned Hoya carnosa, often called wax plant or porcelain flower. With proper care and abundant, indirect sunlight, it may bloom. After flowering, trim off spent blossoms with sharp scissors but don’t remove the bare flower stems; the plant will bloom on those same stems in the future. There's no harm, however, trimming unruly leaf-bearing vines.
To further promote flowering, provide monthly 5-10-5 fertilizer applications during spring, summer and early fall.
These tropical plants thrive on humidity. I see you have yours near your baseboard heater, which isn’t ideal, so you should mist it every couple of days during winter or move it into a bathroom where daily showers will provide the humidity it needs. Alternately, you can place the pot on a pebble-filled tray to which you’ve added enough water to cover the pebbles halfway. As the water evaporates, it will create a nice, humid microclimate around the plant.
During winter, water when the top two inches of soil are dry (stick your finger knuckle-deep into the soil to ascertain its moisture level.) Increase watering during spring, summer and fall, aiming to keep the soil moist -- but never soggy.
💡 If you do one thing this week…
Start pruning! (If you had my Day-by-Day gardening calendar, you’d know all seven things you should do this week. See below for a special offer.)
New and Improved Calendars: Extra Crunchy, and now with Autographs!
My February sale just got better: Order a copy of Jessica Damiano’s Day-by-Day Gardening Calendar for just $18.71 (plus tax, where applicable). That’s 25% off the regular price of $24.95, and, as I told you last week, I’ll cover your shipping. Now, until the end of the month, I’ll even throw in my John Hancock, right there on the cover.
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Wondering when to apply pre-emergent crabgrass control? There’s a very small, specific window during which it will be successful. It’s in the calendar. ✅
When’s the best time to prune hydrangeas? ✅ Cut down butterfly bush? ✅ Plant peas? ✅ Repot your houseplants? Overseed a lawn? Fertilize the lawn? ✅✅✅
Hang this baby on your wall and you’ll know exactly what you should be doing today and every day of the year to keep your houseplants healthy, your crops producing and your garden beautiful.
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🌿 Let’s play… Name that Weed!
Subscriber JoAnn Kukenis sent in this photo of a pesky week that she’s having difficulty eradicating on her property. Who can name this weed? Enter your guesses in the comments. Those who guess correctly will get a mention in The Weekly Dirt — and the bragging rights that, naturally, will follow.
Until next week, stay safe. Be well. And always keep your mind in the dirt. —Jessica
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