News and Info from David Barkley

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This is the time of year when many home gardeners get the urge to cut on the shrubs around the house. The time to prune may be correct for some, and for others, it may not.

There are several reasons to prune an ornamental plant. Always keep dead wood and broken branches trimmed off. Many plants may have gotten too large for the intended space. Some are being grown for a particular shape or form and may need pruning. Young plants, especially trees, need extra attention during the early years to provide for the best branching structure. Many plants, especially those about for several years, will require complete renovation.

Whatever the reason for pruning, timing is a key factor for successful results. Most landscapers agree that late winter and pre spring are the best times to prune. The key here is before bud break. This is true for summer flowering trees and shrubs and most evergreen shrubs. Spring flowering shrubs are treated differently. Pruning will be stressful to plants, and one of the most stressful periods is during bud break and leaf expansion in the spring (plants are depending on stored food supplies for these action times). It is recommended to complete the pruning chores before this time occurs.

Go to the web site to see a list of plants that are best pruned in late winter/early spring and those that should wait until they complete their spring show of blooms.

LATE WINTER SHRUB REJUVENATION

There is also a group of plants that easily become overgrown and leggy, or simply need to be pruned to induce more flowers. We have a tendency to only tip prune these plants. The first that comes to mind is an old, overgrown azalea. If you have large azaleas that haven't flowered well over the last couple of years and are a lack of interest in the landscape, then it's okay to sacrifice what little bloom may come out in the spring to get the plant back on the right track for the future. Don't be bashful (you don' have much to lose anyway). Spiraea, Abelia and Nandina could fall into this group also.

There are many other broadleaf ornamentals that would benefit from a severe pruning as every year they get bigger and bigger. The easy rule of thumb to remember is that the faster and larger a shrub grows, the more you can cut it back. Plants that respond to severe pruning are Chinese and Japanese Holly cultivars, Photinia, Ligustrum, Osmanthus, Elaeagnus, Waxmyrtle, Rose of Sharon and Spiraea.

Although a severe pruning will make them smaller, this is only temporary. In a few years, you'll probably need to repeat the process. Also consider creating a multi stem, small tree from an overgrown shrub. Instead of trimming all of the top off, remove many of the branches all the way to the ground. Leave 3 4 well spaced branches and thin the top. If sprouts appear at the base, keep them trimmed off. Once created, the plant will require much less attention over the years.

One can severely damage (kill) conifers by pruning severely. Be careful when pruning Arborvitaes, Cedars, Pfitzer, Hetz, Andorra and Shore Junipers.

PLANT FIRST GARDEN VEGETABLES SOON

This is just the right time for "Coastal Carolina" gardeners to plant cool season vegetables. Cool season vegetables are those that should be planted early in the growing season because they stop producing when hot weather comes. Among the first vegetables that should be planted in the garden are cabbage, carrots, head lettuce, onions, Irish potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, spinach, turnips, edible podded peas and garden peas, which are also called English peas. Soon after they are in the ground, it'll be time to plant broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, leaf lettuce, mustard and Swiss chard.

LANDSCAPE QUIZ:

Which turfgrass is the most drought tolerant - Centipede, Common Bermuda, 'Tifway' Bermuda, 'Raleigh' St. Augustine, or 'Meyer' zoysia?

Common Bermudagrass, Centipede, 'Tifway' Bermuda, 'Meyer' Zoysiagrass, and 'Raleigh' St. Augustine were evaluated in Griffin, Georgia for drought tolerance (DT), based on wilting and browning during the summer by researcher Robert Carrow.

Results: Very High DT: 'Tifway' and Common Bermudagrass; High: 'Raleigh' St. Augustine and Centipede; Low: Meyer zoysia


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