I have begun to see all of the pruning debris on the side of the road as I drive to and from the office. This serves as an indicator that it is time to warn you not to prune your shrubs just yet.
In our Extension Master Gardener Training class, we discussed it this week as well. Pruning elicits a growth response; if you prune now, you will most certainly have new growth before a frost comes. That new growth will be killed by the frost. Telling the shrub or tree to grow now also hinders the process of setting up for dormancy. This can hurt the overall health of the tree. To begin with, pruning shrubs back this time of year is not a good idea. In addition, if we happen to have one of those cold winters, like we used to, there is a very likely chance that this can severely damage or even kill the shrubs!
In Northern climates, where it gets cold and stays cold throughout the winter, this can work. Here in Eastern NC however, we rarely ever get cold and stay cold. The saying “If you don’t like the weather, just wait 15 minutes and it will change,” applies to us! The pruning cuts, along with that warm weather, causes a growth response in the shrubs. As soon as they begin growing and it turns cold again, this new growth will be killed resulting in stress to the plant. The new growth isn’t hardened off against the cold weather. If you just need to shape them up, that is fine but if you are doing a major pruning, it is best to wait until February.
Always make certain your tools are sharp and clean. Use a sharpening stone or file to sharpen your tools on a regular basis. Put a little lubricant on them to make sure they are working properly. To sterilize your tools in between cuts, use a 10% bleach solution or disinfectant spray. Be sure to clean your tools and oil them really well when you are finished because the solution used for sterilizing can cause them to rust before they are used again.
Begin pruning by looking for dead, diseased, or damaged wood. Prune these branches and limbs out first. Next, look for any branches or leaders that may be crossing one another, one of these will need to be pruned so other can survive. Lastly, look at the overall shape of the tree and make cuts to help the shape light penetration, and air movement through the tree. This lessens the instance of disease within the tree. Clean all of your debris up and make sure that any leaves have been removed, these may harbor diseases over the winter.
Plan to fertilize in March according to a fertilizer sample. Take your sample now to know what to fertilize with in the spring. Samples should be taken around the dripline of the tree, this is the average of the extent of where the leaves reach. Fertilizer and lime application should be concentrated in the area as well. Do not use fertilizer spikes, research shows that they do not work. A lime application can be made now so that the pH is corrected by spring.
If you are having an issue in your home garden or landscape, send your questions to Gene Fox, Consumer Horticulture Agent with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, please email Gene at gene_fox@ncsu.edu or call at (252)946-0111. Check out our Facebook page, Beaufort County Master Gardeners, for The Plant of the Week and Food Garden Friday! Until then, Happy Gardening!
