PRUNING PRIMER

I just checked the weather outside before starting to write this column. The next few days are going to be perfect for getting outside, looking at the plants in your landscape and giving them that late winter/early spring pruning to make them look good for the coming growing season. The question many gardeners have is, "Which ones do I prune now, and which ones do I prune later?" With these questions in mind, I thought I would put together a pruning primer for you.

Over the past few weeks, several gardeners have asked me if it is best to prune roses in the fall or in spring. First of all, roses bloom on what is called "this year's wood." This means bloom buds are primarily set on the new shoots that are produced this spring. They very seldom bloom on shoots that developed last fall.

Therefore, the next few weeks are a great time to prune rose bushes. Since no bloom buds have been set on the shoots, you will not cut off any buds and reduce spring blooming.

I also like to wait until late winter to prune roses for another reason. Roses in our area are sometimes damaged if we have an extremely cold winter; I have seen shoots die back a foot or more. This means if you have pruned the roses in the fall back to about 18 inches and we experience a late winter freeze, the ends of each pruned shoot could have 6 to 12 inches of dead ends, which will have to be cut back before spring. This could result in a rose bush that is only 6 to 12 inches tall after pruning, and the bush will take a long time to get back into blooming mode because of the stress.

You may have some spring blooming shrubs, such as forsythia, azaleas, rhododendrons and viburnums. These plants set their bloom buds on twigs during the summer. They then bloom the next spring. If you prune these plants in the fall, winter or early spring, you probably won't hurt the shrub, but you will have pruned off all the buds that produce flowers in the early spring. These plants should be pruned in the early summer, just after blooming is finished.

A variety of plant food for roses, shrubs and azaleas can be used in warmer weather.Laura Simon

Evergreens such as boxwood, yew and juniper can be pruned in the late winter, early spring or fall because they are not planted for their blooms. They are planted for borders or backgrounds in the landscape.

If you have pine or spruce trees, you can prune them at any time of the year if you are just taking off a branch that is low to the ground or growing into a power line. If you are pruning them to make the foliage denser, then prune them in the late spring.

Pines and spruce set their foliage buds for next year during the summer. If you prune to make the foliage denser, wait until the new shoots are elongated, then in June prune them back. They will then set their new foliage buds, which will result in a denser plant the following year.

I like to use bypass pruners when shaping shrubs. Make sure your pruners are kept sharp and well adjusted. This will reduce any "pruning damage" caused by the tools.

After late winter or spring pruning, I like to get those landscape shrubs off to a good start with a fertilizer application. There are different formulations for roses, azaleas and most other landscape plants. A spring fertilizer application for pruned shrubs (after they start to grow in the spring) will help them recover from the stress of surgery.

I hope this primer helps you decide when to prune what in your landscape. Happy clipping.