Easter
weekend the perfect time to shed a few branches
One
of the most important steps to ensuring the longevity and health of your trees
and shrubs is regular pruning. Pruning is an essential part of gardening, but
like all gardening there is a proper time to do it and a time not to. Before
you beginning pruning you will need the proper tools: lopping shears for stems
and branches up to an inch in thickness; hedge shears or an electric trimmer for
shaping hedges and perennial evergreens and a pruning saw for larger branches
over an inch in thickness. EVERGREENS Cedars
and junipers may be lightly pruned in early spring to remove any winter killed
tips. Mid-June
is the ideal time to prune cedars and junipers when the need to trim is apparent
as the weather produces new growth. Clip them with hedge shears just as you would
a hedge. Upright
evergreens should never be allowed to outgrow its place in the garden. Spreading
evergreens can be simultaneously sheared or trimmed by removing individual branches.
Make the cut under an overhanging branch and your work will go unseen. CONIFERS Spruces
and firs produce buds along the branch. New growth should be removed by half in
the third week of June. This provokes dormant buds to break and creates a denser
foliage and promotes new buds to grow at the cut. The leader, or main shoot,
of such trees can become too long and should be cut at this time. DO NOT CUT below
the lowest buds or the leader will die back. Pine
trees do not have buds along the stem, only on the tips. As these buds get larger
in the spring they look like candles. Half the growth should be removed each year
before the end of June. FLOWERING
SHRUBS AND VINES Spring
flowering and shrubs such as flowering almond, forsythia, bridal wreath speria,
purple-leaf sand cherry and rhododendrun should never be pruned until the first
flowers appear. Summer
flowering shrubs should be pruned in early spring before any growth begins to
appear, then pruned again to as flowers bloom and become spent. Plants include
roses, pink sperias, Pantalla Butterfly Bush, Blue Mist Shrub and certain hydrangea. Bittersweet
Vine, shrubs with attractive berries and some roses offer no best time for pruning.
If pruning is required then do so after they flower or make use of the decorative
berries indoors by cutting the fruit laden branches. Most
flowering vines such as clematis, honeysuckle, silver-laced vine etc. are extremely
vigorous and should be pruned in early spring. Some
varieties of clematis such as Duchess of Edinburgh and Nelly Moser are varieties
that flower on old wood, then flower again on new growth. As
the vine becomes overgrown, you may have to prune the excess and forego early
blossoms in some years. FIR
TREES Fruit
trees offered for sale at most nurseries maybe three years old or more and the
basic shape already begun or established, having been pruned at the nursery. If
so, only a minimal amount of pruning is needed to maintain and improve the open
centered vase shape of the tree. Fruit trees should always be pruned when the
tree is dormant in mid-to late winter. Summer
pruning to remove leafy foliage and expose the ripening fruit to more sun should
be done about a month before picking. If you have any questions about pruning
your shrubs, hedges or trees, feel free to drop by our nursery and asked for myself
or any of our staff. Wed be glad to help. GARDENING
TIP # 1 Winter
protection Question:
When should I uncover my plants? Answer:
The best time to remove the thermal blankets is as soon as the snow around your
plants has melted. Leaving
your plants covered for too long in the spring can overheat and damage them. For
plants that have been mulched: As the mulch thaws, gradually push it away from
the plant until it is completely uncovered. GARDENING
TIP # 2 Applying
a combination of dormant oil and lime sulphur to plants is a safe, organic, and
effective solution that helps fight overwintering pests and prevent diseases.
You can apply the mixture on shrubs, rose bushes, and most trees (except Sugar
Maple and Birch). Dormant
oil and lime sulphur can be purchased at Laporte's. When
to apply: Follow these three simple, but important rules for a successful application: -
The temperature must not drop below 0 degrees Celsius the night of the application.
- It
must not rain for 24 hours following application.
- It
must be applied before buds swell and crack.
Cedar
Hedge protection The
cedar mite and cedar scale are two powerful pests that can only be controlled
using dormant oil. Because these insects can kill your Cedar Hedge, protection
is vital. Apply
the dormant oil sometime between mid-March and mid-April. You
should also follow these two rules: -
The temperature must not drop below 0 degrees Celsius the night of the application.
- It
must not rain for 24 hours following application.
Important:
The application should consists of dormant oil ONLY. Do not use lime sulphur for
Cedar Hedges. (Estelle
Laporte and her husband Jean are the owners of J.A. Laporte Flowers and Nursery
on Old Montreal Road. If you would like any more information on these or any other
helpful tips please feel free to visit our garden centre on Old Montreal Road
just east of Trim Rd.) Return
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