The first rule of pruning is to use clean, sharp tools. Remove dead, diseased and weak stems. Correct pruning should not be overly obvious. BILL SEVIER/Courtesy
Q: My hydrangea is becoming overgrown. Can I prune it back or will it need to be replaced? D.P., TulsaA:
Regular pruning is an important part of any landscape maintenance schedule. Benefits of proper pruning include basic plant health and vigor, improved flower and fruit production, size and shape control, and, in your particular case, plant rejuvenation.
You can remove dead or diseased wood at any time during the year, but you should avoid additional stress to plants during the dead heat of summer. Significant pruning is best done in late winter before the plant has broken dormancy. The exception to this rule applies to spring flowering shrubs, which should be pruned after they have finished blooming.
There are two types of rejuvenation pruning. Extensive rejuvenation requires cutting the entire plant back to the ground, essentially starting over. The outcome is hopefully new healthy shoots with increased flowering and a more manageable shape. The downside of this type of pruning is the time it takes to grow and fill in your landscape.
A less drastic option would be gradual rejuvenation pruning where you remove a portion of the older stems over several years. It will take a little longer to complete the process, but you will maintain the look of your landscape. The recommendations are to remove one-third of the oldest stems each year until you have a fully rejuvenated plant.
It's important to use clean, sharp tools to make your cuts. Start by removing dead, diseased and weak stems. Remove stems that cross over other stems and those that don't follow the natural shape of your plant. Keep checking your work to make sure you are maintaining proper balance and symmetry and not removing too much wood. If you are pruning correctly, it should not be overly obvious.
Rejuvenation pruning is acceptable for many plants in the landscape like forsythia, abelia, spirea and lilac, but be forewarned you will not have flowers on your spring-flowering shrubs. You should avoid this type of pruning method on narrow-leafed evergreens like boxwood and juniper and shrubs that have one primary trunk.
As gardeners, we are hopefully picking the right plant for the right place, which should keep our pruning chores to a minimum. But a regular pruning schedule will encourage healthier plants and less need of drastic cutbacks.
For more complete information on pruning get the OSU fact sheet "Pruning Ornamental Trees Shrubs and Vines." This is available at the Tulsa County Master Gardener Office or at
tulsaworld.com/pruneshrubs
If you have a garden-related question you would like the Master Gardeners to answer in a column, call 918-746-3701.
The hotter it gets, the better red spider mites love it. Tomatoes are a favorite. Mites are very small but can be seen if you tap a leaf over a sheet of white paper and look for moving dots. They cause leaves to have a stippled yellowish appearance. Wash them off with jets of water and use either horticultural soap or oil according to directions. Neem oil is a good choice for a safe, organic insecticide. Some insecticides may make the problem worse by killing the good insects that help control mites.
Tomato growers are aware that fruit production usually stops in the heat of summer. Most tomato pollen becomes infertile and blossoms drop off when night temperatures are above 70 and daytime is above 92 degrees for a few days. This also occurs in peppers, some varieties of beans and other vegetables. As it cools in late summer, fertility returns. If your tomatoes are too tall and gangly, you may cut them back a third. New growth and fertile blossoms will develop when it cools in fall.
Original Print Headline: Proper pruning aids plant health
Garden
Q:I have enjoyed the blackberries available at the local farmers markets. Are blackberries practical for the home gardener? M.D., Tulsa
When Master Gardener Bill Sterling thinks of fall, one of the first things that comes to mind is the respite he’ll get from the hot weather.
