As Winter Approaches

Well, the cold weather is approaching and all of us "yardies" are mourning the demise of our annuals. But wait! There will still be things we can do. Pruning season is here, compost piles can be started, mulching for insulating the perennials, soil amendments can be added to the yard, or you could finally gather up some dirt from your yard and send it to Texas A & M to get an accurate analysis of the nutrients that you need to add to your soil for maximum results.

Ok, pruning! The rule on when to prune flowering shrubs is this: if the shrub(like spirea or forsythia) blooms in the spring, you prune it right after it blooms in spring, because it blooms on the previous year's growth. If the shrub blooms later in the year, you prune them during the winter months before new growth begins in the spring.

Pruning is done to shape a plant, eliminate dead or damaged branches, restrict growth in a certain direction, create better air flow through the branches to prevent fungal growth , like powdery mildew on crape myrtles or roses. After pruning diseased branches , remove them from the area and dispose of them to prevent spread of the disease to healthy plants.

Keep your cutting tools sharp to prevent tearing the plant tissue, and it makes your work much easier too!

One last thought: when you are pruning young trees, remember that branches that come from the trunk at a right angle(scaffold branches) are the strongest, whereas branches that form sharp acute angles to the trunk are the weakest, and more likely to split off during heavy ice or wind. When you are pruning, remember you are determining the future shape of your tree. Try to create a tree that has scaffold branches evenly spaced around the trunk and up the trunk, in an aesthetic design.

May I also recommend reading a copy of Texas Gardener magazine if you have a chance. It is full of very timely and interesting information. See you!

walter