Search results for: 'pruning'

We consulted with our friend the horticulturist Ruth Rogers Clausen about pruning shrubs in the fall. There are primarily three reasons to prune a shrub: To get rid of any dead or diseased wood, or crossing branches To shape a shrub To encourage more flowering [caption id="attachment_1585" align="alignleft" width="169"] Berberis_thunbergii 'Rosy Glow' Shaped[/caption] Fall is a good time to prune away dead, damaged, diseased or dying branches. It can be done anytime of year but if you d...

We have a purple clematis that climbs up the south side of our screen porch. It's  a summer blooming variety  so I prune it in the Spring. (Spring blooming clematis are usually pruned the previous fall.) I worked my way up from the bottom, clipping off dead wood right next to emerging buds. I was wearing my Womanswork "Digger" garden gloves  (in teal blue). When working with a tangle of vines and leaves and side shoots, it's easy to make the mistake of cutting vines that you wish you hadn't. I know...

So spring is here and the summer and fall-blooming shrubs need to be pruned—right? Well, yes and no. Don't be in a rush. Beware of pruning too early, especially those silver-leaved beauties that have only just started into growth. [caption id="attachment_268" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Perovskia atriplicifoia "][/caption] Through bitter experience, I have found that it is better to wait a couple of weeks until at least 1" of new young growth is showing.  You can always cut back later, b...

Pruner Maintenance: Anne Cleves Symmes, horticulturist and garden educator at Beatrix Farrand's celebrated Bellefield Garden in Hyde Park, NY, demonstrated how she keeps her pruners sharp and well oiled each Spring. First she uses the scouring pad side of a discarded kitchen sponge to rub off gummy buildup on the blades. You can also use a piece of wire wool for this. To sharpen your pruner she recommends a diamond blade, or you can use a sharpening stone or whetstone.  Swipe the diamond blade or ...

We consulted with our friend, horticulturist Ruth Rogers Clausen, about pruning shrubs in the fall. There are primarily three reasons to prune a shrub: To get rid of any dead, damaged, diseased or dying wood (The 4 D's), or crossing branches To shape an overgrown or lobsided shrub To encourage more flowering Fall is a good time to prune away dead, damaged, diseased or dying branches. This will improve the health of the plant, and it can be done anytime of year. The advantage to doing it in ...

Part of the fun of gardening for me is that there are always new things to learn. Recently, I learned something new about fertilizing trees and shrubs, about growing canna outdoors in containers, and about pruning lilacs. Where did I get my information? I asked Ruth Clausen the horticulturist and author, and John Hoyt a local arborist who works in my garden! Pruning Old-fashioned Lilacs-- John Hoyt recommends that pruning be done when it’s a little cooler (early morning or evening) to avoid stressing t...