it's that time again

It's February and once we get past Valentine's Day, you know what time it is in the gardens--

Yes that's right, it's pruning time! Have you noticed all of the new growth on the trees and shrubbery--the red and orange hue at the ends of the branches that have endured winter's cold and are waiting for the earth to warm enough for their buds to open?

When it's still cold and nobody wants to think about being outside in the gardens, it is time for plant training. And that is what pruning is all about. It isn't discipline, it's guidance. If plants are properly pruned, they can reach their full potential. But a plant can be disfigured and ruined for life if it is pruned incorrectly.

Many flowers require pruning in the form of deadheading, which is the simple process of removing the spent blossoms so that the plant will form new blossoms. If deadheading isn't done, the spent blossoms might produce seeds that may grow during the next spring, but there will be fewer and fewer blooms this year.

When it comes to shrubbery, there are two schools of thought: gardeners who lop off the top of the shrub so it has the appearance of a nine-year-old boy with a flat top, and gardeners who remove 1/3 of the shrub each year, which allows the shrub to generate new growth each year. Wise gardeners will realize that lopping off the top of a shrub will cause it to become top heavy because for every branch that is removed, the shrub will produce at least two replacements. The joint caused by the loppers and the subsequent regrowth will produce weak wood and an unsightly plant, whereas removing 1/3 of the shrub each year eliminates dead wood and keeps the shrub healthier. One thing to keep in mind though is that spring flowering shrubs should not be pruned until after they blossom, or you may remove branches that would have provided blossoms.

There are several methods used to prune trees. Evergreens, including pines, firs, and spruces do not typically require any pruning. Removing the top of an evergreen will cause the tree to produce two leaders and will destroy the majesty of what would have been a tall straight tree. Sometimes a gardener will remove lower branches on evergreens. This is usually only necessary if a tree has been planted too close to a sidewalk or building; it too is a shame because it wouldn't have been necessary if the gardener had realized the potential in the tree, planted it in a more appropriate location, and allowed it to grow in its natural shape.

Fruit trees require severe pruning early every spring. The goal of growing fruit trees is to obtain good quantities of quality fruit. To accomplish this, immediately after planting the new fruit tree, the gardener must lop off the top of the tree about three feet above the ground. This will encourage the tree to branch out close to the ground so the gardener will be able to pick the fruit without a ladder. As the branches start to grow out from the lopped top of the tree, the gardener should select the healthiest branches , keeping in mind that the goal is to have a bowl-shaped tree so that all of the fruit will have maximum exposure to rain and sunlight.

Many roses are pruned in the same manner as fruit trees. While roses don't require the original lopping off, they do require that the gardener remove dead wood and cut back the canes to 18" off the ground. Then the gardener should remove the interior canes to form a bowl-shaped rose bush while allowing the remaining canes to grow and produce as many beautiful blossoms as possible.

Lastly, are the deciduous trees--the maples, oaks, willows, and their garden-mates. Except for removing dead or diseased branches, these trees will require no pruning unless they are planted in locations that do not allow them to grow in their native form. I can think of no sadder thing than a sycamore with its beautiful peeling bark, its dinner-plate sized green leaves, and its incredibly massive spreading canopy that has been planted in a three-foot wide parking strip, which means that in a few short years, it will have to be removed, because some gardener neglected to plant it in the right place, which would have allowed it to reach its full potential. When I see a tree planted in the wrong place, its roots raising the sidewalk, yearning for air and water, yet sending old men and young children to the ground because of the unlevel path they create, I weep. The only thing sadder than that sycamore begging for space are the trees I see whose gardeners have topped them, chopping them off at some arbitrarily-selected height so that through the winter and into the spring, the tree with its top cut off will attempt valiantly to restore its majesty, but will be unable to do anything more than to send multiple weak branches from each cut that will then need to be removed again next year. If a tree has branches that are growing in the wrong place--or a place that the gardener should have foreseen but didn't--the proper method of pruning is to observe the tree carefully, determining which branches, if kept, will help the tree to attain its natural shape and which branches can be removed. If the gardener removes those branches completely back to the joint from which they grew, it is likely that the one remaining branch at that joint will become a stronger, more natural looking branch.

Remember, give your plants the best opportunity to reach their full potential by planting them in the place that provides the correct amount of sunlight and space. Remember that plants have individual pruning needs depending on what type of plant they are. And remember, pruning isn't punishment, it's a vital part of growing and becoming the best plants they can be.