Winter pruning tips

Linn County Master Gardener, Lisa Slattery, offers the following advice for winter pruning:

January has slipped away and February is upon us. Gardeners are counting down the days to warming temperatures. Yet there are still late winter gardening chores to consider, one being proper pruning.

Why should you prune? It's a good practice to maintain overall plant health and improve foliage, flower and fruit quality. But it's better not to prune than to do it incorrectly. Don't just get out the chainsaw. Be sure you use common sense and proper technique. Remember, pruning is only removing parts of plants that will help supply additional energy to the plant's remaining flowers and foliage.

Master Gardeners tell you over and over that the dormant season is the best time to prune. There are reasons why this is the case. It's easy to see the branch structure of hardwood trees and shrubs; wounds heal best in the early growing season; the chance of transmitting disease and attracting insects is low, and dormant season allows for less excessive sap to flow from pruning cuts.

Trees (like crabapple) that are susceptible to the bacterial disease fireblight should only be pruned in the dormant season. Trees and shrubs that flower in summer or fall should also be pruned when dormant since buds form on new twigs during the next growing season. Generally trees and shrubs that flower in the early spring, like forsythia and dogwood should be pruned immediately after flowering because these plants set buds the prior year. Conifers may be pruned at other times, but pruning during dormancy will minimize sap and resin flow from cuts. Dead branches can be removed at any time.

Use the right equipment. There are a variety of hand shears, lopping shears, pole pruners and pruning saws in a variety of sizes. A reputable garden center can guide you to the proper tool for your pruning task. It is extremely important to keep all your blades sharp. You can create unwanted damage with a dull blade.

The Linn County Master Gardeners are offering a free class on “Pruning Shrubs and Trees” on Tuesday, Feb 23

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at 6:30 pm at the Linn County Extension office. To register, call 377-9839. You'll also find information on pruning techniques for more specific plant varieties on the Iowa State University Extension website

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/yardgarden.htm