TIPS FROM SALLY

Yard work! It’s good for you

It’s that time of year to get off the couch, get out the pruners and spend a little quality time with your landscape. Depending on the size of your yard it may only take a day or two. Sure….I know you want to watch football or go shopping, but it won’t take long if you do a little bit… just go in for a break… then go back out at half time….You’ll get fresh air and work off those hot dogs and chips!

The Right Tools:

Pruning is critical in keeping your landscape looking neat, clean and pest free. The right tools can make your job so much easier and faster, and Moana Nursery carries a selection of pruners to help you get the job done right. Remember to clean your tools after pruning to prevent the spread of disease to other plants.

• Hand Pruners: Small perennials and roses
• Loppers: Larger twigs
• Pruning Shears: Pruning hedges and larger shrubs.
• Hand Saw: Small tree branches
  

What to prune:

Perennials: Clean up and remove all dead leaves.

Shrubs: Rule of thumb is not to prune more than 1/3 of the plant. Flowering shrubs should be pruned after flowering. If you prune a flowering shrub in fall or winter you will most likely sacrifice the following season’s blooms.

Roses: In Spring, prune from base of plant to open the center to light and air circulation. Make your cuts at a 45 degree angle, about ¼” above a bud that is facing toward the outside of the plant. Remove all broken, dead, dying, diseased wood, shriveled or black. Cut until the inside of the cane is white. Remove any weak or twiggy branches thinner than a pencil. Remove sucker growth below the graft and be sure to remove any remaining foliage.

Evergreens Trees and Shrubs: Make corrective pruning of dead, diseased or broken branches. When pruning evergreen trees or shrubs to contain their size, be sure to save the branches for holiday decorating around the house. Moana Lane has great ideas/samples for using cut greens in winter containers.

Fruit and Flowering Trees: Timing of dormant pruning is critical. Pruning should begin as late in the winter as possible to avoid winter injury. Apple trees should be pruned first, followed by cherry, peach, and plum trees. Prune the latest blooming trees first and the earliest blooming last. Also, consider the age of the tree. Within that particular fruit type, the oldest trees should be pruned first. Younger trees are more prone to winter injury from early pruning.

While you spend quality time with your yard, it’s a great time to take advantage of Moana’s fall/winter sale. Remove dead, diseased, or overgrown plants and replace with something new. The hole will already be there waiting for its new member to the garden. Remember to mulch plants for the winter and water regularly until the ground freezes.