It’s Still Just Dirt, The Tillsonburg News – March 2019
by Angela Lassam
As the days get longer we look upon our gardens and feel we should start to tidy up. The first chore to do is to work on trees and shrubs before they show signs of growth and show their leaves.
Pruning is a question often asked as to when and what to remove. It is a learning curve but all you need to know is which trees/shrubs should be pruned in early spring and why it is beneficial.
There is a rule of four Ds-dead, dying, diseased and damaged. This will show you what needs removing. Winter weather breaks any branches that are dead. Thin branches show up easily without the leaves. You can see the vertical ones called water spouts which on fruit trees will never carry fruit. Any crossing branches will need to be cut out. These will cause disease by rubbing and cutting out will allow the tree to breathe. Fruit trees need to be very open to produce good fruit. All lower branches need to be trimmed to avoid eye poking when going under trees or enjoying the shade in summer.
You will need to start with clean sharp tools, a pair of pruners for the small work and lopping shears for larger branches. There are extendable ones for taller work. Longer strong work gloves are helpful as cuttings will be sharp and sometimes heavy.
Most trees need pruning while dormant so early in the year is better. All cuts should be diagonal to avoid end rot. The cut will heal quickly. New growth will look good when you have shaped the tree and opened up the centre. New branches will grow in the right direction. Fruit trees will give more fruit. The more aggressive you are the better the results.
Vines and climbers need very little attention apart from the 4 Ds. Again, remove dead, diseased, dying and damaged parts. Silver vine, passionflower and trumpet vine flower on new wood. Mandevilla flowers on old wood and needs very little pruning. All vines need training to your desired shape and trimmed to allow air for them to breathe.
Grape vines if grown cordoned need vigorous pruning. Cut them back in early spring to the rusty brown wood as they only form clusters on new wood. Any bleeding is only water and will do no harm.
Shrubs that flower early can in general be pruned when being deadheaded as they flower on old wood. Forsythia, Dogwood and Rhododendron are some of these shrubs. Hydrangea paniculata, rose of Sharon and buddleja are different. They set their buds on new wood. They often bloom best if they have been cut back while dormant in late winter to encourage more new wood to form.
An interesting fact about lilacs – a layer of wood ashes and preferably hardwood provide them with many minerals (copper, zinc and calcium) and trace elements that is an extra benefit for them.
Perennials can be improved by being cut back in the fall unless you like to see the flower heads for interest in the winter snow. They will need the centre to be cleaned out as soon as new bottom growth is seen. This is also the time to judge whether cleaning and pruning is enough or if they need to be split up to improve flowering. Remember the Horticultural Society has its annual plant auction in May and now is the time for members to pot up some plants as a contribution.
Pruning is difficult for gardeners as it appears destructive and harsh but the rewards will be seen in the summer. It seems that pruning is a constant task for the gardener who knows there is always something to be done.
The next monthly meeting for the Tillsonburg Horticultural Society will be on Tuesday 2nd April @ 7.30 p.m. in the Senior Centre, Tillsonburg Community Centre. The speaker will be David Chapman with the topic of “Storm Chasing in Ontario” featuring a video of a super cell tornado. Everyone welcome. there is a $2 per meeting fee or join for extra benefits. For further information on the society look on Facebook tillsonburghorticultural or www.tillsonburghorticultural.ca