It's Time to Prune

Winter is a difficult time for gardeners. Not much to do except daydream about the exciting new annuals and perennials you'll try in the spring.

However, there's one important garden chore that should be done in the winter. February is the best time for most pruning jobs, which should be done before the plants break dormancy. Without leaves on the plant, you're better able to see its skeletal shape and make adjustments.

Pruning is invigorating for most plants if done at the correct time. Pruning during the wrong time -- when a plant is actively growing -- weakens it.

Most pruning chores can be done with a good pair of sharp bypass hand pruners. Thicker branches may require loppers or a small saw.

There are two types of pruning cuts. A thinning cut is made back where a branch starts growing from its parentbranch. This opens up the plant to air circulation and sunlight. A heading cut takes the branch back to a bud. This causes the buds behind the cut to begin to grow, making the tree or bush more dense.

Now is the time to trim dead or broken branches from trees, or branches that overhang walkways. Also take out branches that rub against others and those that grow back toward the center of the tree. Trimming out interior branches will open up the canopy and allow better air circulation and sunlight. But be careful pruning trees. It's easy to get hurt on a ladder or by a falling branch. Better to leave the big jobs to professionals.

Ornamental flowering shrubs like butterfly bush should be pruned back to within 12 to 18 inches from the ground. This promotes more compact growth and better blooms. But spring-flowering shrubs like forsythia and azalea should be pruned immediately after blooming.

Following are some general pruning tips. For more information about pruning, go to www.google.com and search for "pruning." For information about pruning a specific plant, search for "pruning roses" or "pruning fruit trees," etc.

When trees and shrubs are properly pruned, it's difficult to tell that they have been pruned. Start slowly. Take out one wayward branch at a time, then step back and examine the plant from all angles before cutting again. In any case, never remove more than one-third of the plant.

Because of its weight a branch can tear loose during pruning, stripping the bark and creating jagged edges that invite insects and disease. So, follow these steps: A. Make a partial cut from beneath, at a point several inches away from the trunk. B. Make a second cut from above several inches out from the first cut, to allow the limb to fall safely. C. Complete the job with a final cut just outside the branch collar, the raised area that surrounds the branch where it joins the trunk.

The pruning cut should be made right before the branch collar -- the raised area surrounding the branch as it grows from a main stem. Cut at the same angle as the collar, leaving the collar and bark ridge so the plant can heal the wound. Because of the weight of tree branches, strategic extra cuts should be made. (See illustration).

Most plants look better and are healthier keeping their natural shape. Shearing a shrub into a tight geometric form may affect flowering and make it susceptible to disease.

Spread a large tarp on the ground near the shrub or under the tree to be pruned and throw the cuttings on it, to be disposed of later.

Small branches can be cut into 6-inch lengths for the compost pile. Larger branches can be used as decorative items in the landscape or given to a friend with a chipper-shredder.

While most pruning is done in the winter, don't be afraid to make adjustments throughout the year. If you're constantly brushing against a shrub or ducking under a branch encroaching onto a walkway, feel free to prune back the offending branches. Dead, damaged, decayed or infested wood can be pruned back anytime. Likewise with suckers, water sprouts or out-of-control branches.