Dear Marni,
You know the beginning of spring is here when the bright cheery Forsythia begins to bloom around town. These hardy shrubs are great as accent plants or hedges. There are several varieties of Forsythia, ranging from dwarf ground covers to the upright hedge varieties. One of my favorite varieties is 'Magical Gold'. It grows to 4-5' and has much larger blooms than other varieties.
The first signs of the Forsythia blooming are also Mother Nature's way of letting us know that it is time to prune. Pruning is an important gardening task, but because it is so permanent it can be daunting for many gardeners.
But there's no need to be afraid! Warner's is here to help. Following are some of the basics of pruning. You will also find links to handy printable guides to help get you started.
If you are interested in learning more about pruning, visit one of our salespeople for a quick lesson, or join us for our Pruning Seminar next Wednesday 4/7 at 5:30pm or Saturday 4/10 at 2:00pm. |
| Pruning Deciduous Trees & Shrubs |
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 Why do we prune?
The main reason to prune any tree or shrub is to maintain the health of your plant. For instance, after this incredibly harsh winter, you probably have a lot of broken limbs and branches from the sheer weight of the snow. Any of these broken limbs need to be removed; along with any other branches that are diseased, dead, or growing into one another.
(If your tree has been broken at the trunk, or if removing broken branches will equate to removing a third of the tree or more, PLEASE see a sales associate before you begin pruning. Removing these will almost certainly result in the loss of your tree.)
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| Pruning Conifers |
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 Think Twice and Prune Once
Part of the allure of conifers is that they are usually low-maintenance plants. A little periodic pruning, however, can keep your conifers healthy and looking their best. When thinking about pruning conifers - or any plant for that matter - it's good to remember the old adage, "measure twice and cut once". In the case of conifers, it's "Think twice and prune once". With this in mind, there are two things you should ask yourself prior to pruning a conifer: "Why do I want to prune?" and "Which conifer is this?". Knowing the answer to these two questions is critical in determining how and when conifers should be pruned.
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