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Show Page A6 Thursday, July 23, 1987 Park Record Take some time to learn proper pruning techiques by ROBERTA GOLD Record guest writer Are overgrown and unshapely plants taking over your yard? Are there dangerous "widow-makers" or low-handing limbs you keep ducking duck-ing to avoid? These are only a couple of reasons to prune. Pruning encourages en-courages healthy growth, stimulates flower production and eliminates diseased, damaged and dead wood. Pruning increases a newly planted t roe's chance of survival, and it improves im-proves the character and natural beauty of your investment. The time to prune is nearly passed. pass-ed. In fact, pruning is best when plants are dormant in late winter or More new growth in early sprint". spr-int". But if you still have pruning to do, do it now so plants may grow strong before fall's hardening off. Late summer pruning may force tender new growth which is susceptible suscepti-ble to winter damage (and there's going to be winter-kill anyway. ) Tools you may need are hand shears, hedge shears, loppers and saws. Keep them sharp. Dull blades make rough cuts which take longer to heal. When working on diseased trees, disinfect your instruments each time you make a new cut. (Use alcohol, Lysol or a solution of 10 percent per-cent bleach. Note that if you are pruning to irradicate disease, avoid doing so in west weather.) Good cutting technique is important. impor-tant. No matter what you're pruning, prun-ing, make your cuts clean and smooth. Make them flush or at proper pro-per angles (as described below). Know what you are pruning. Cut out dead, diseased, conflicting, broken and weak wood. Always cut back damaged wood into healthy growth. Dress wounds if necessary to avoid decay. Some other basics to follow are the rules of three. Prune only one-third the volume of a tree or shrub each year. Use the three-cut method on large limbs. When pruning roots to control a tree's size, cut roots one-third one-third further out than the branches extend. This is not recommended, however, for the layman since you can do serious damage. Here are some more specific guidelines: Deciduous shrubs: When sizing down shrubs, the proper pro-per cutting angle is important. Prune branches back to a side bud, on a slant about even with the bud. Don't make it too slanting, or too close or far from the bud (see illustration). il-lustration). The new shoot will grow in the same direction as the bud, so visualize how the new growth will look. This technique also works for shoots on trees. Thinning eventually makes shrubs bushier, as it allows for new side growth. 1. On spring-flowering shrubs, blossoms form on the previous year's growth. 2. Pruning such shrubs in late winter is risky tecause you may cut off dormant buds that would otherwise produce spring blossoms. 3. Prune as soon as flowers fade in spring, and your blossoms should be larger next year than on unpruned plants. 4. Examples Ex-amples of spring flowering shrubs are barberry, currants, dogwood, honeysuckle, lilac, mock orange, and viburnum. On the other hand, summer-flowering summer-flowering shrubs produce blossoms on wood grown in the same season, so prune these when dormant, usually usual-ly in late winter or in early spring. A lew summer flowering shrubs are bluebeard, snowberry, sumac, some roses and some spireas. (By the way, continue to pinch back the spent blossoms and seed pods on your annuals to keep them blossoming all summer.) Deciduous trees: Prune to thin but maintain the natural look of the tree. Pruning is best in late winter (frameworks are I'll It! easiest to see) or in early spring, when rapid healing occurs. Prune "bleeders" like maple, birch and elm in late summer or fall. On flowering trees, follow the same time guidelines as with flowering shrubs. Do fruit trees in winter or early spring. Eliminate crossing and parallel limbs, hangers and broken branches. bran-ches. Prune for strong crotches (the branch angle). Snip off water sprouts and suckers close to the point of attachment. Always remove limbs flush with the main trunk. Cut just above the branch "collar" where there is a natural chemical zone which inhibits decay. Don't leave stubs. Here's the three-cut method for large limbs: Make the first cut eight to 10 inches from the crotch on the underside, a third to a halfway through the limb. Make the second cut one to three inches from the first cut, from the top, this time cutting all the way through. Then cut off the remaining stub flush with the trunk, just outside the branch collar. This technique stops bark rips and breaks at the first cut should the limb fall. Evergreens: Pines, spruce and fir generally don't need much pruning, if at all. They can be pruned anytime the wood is not frozen, but to control growth, it's best done in early spring. spr-ing. If a double leader develops, remove the weaker one. You may need to train the remaining leader with a splint. You can trim to control shape, but this is usually best left to nature. The hack-jobs some people pull in the name of landscape design are humiliating to the tree! 1. On those evergreens which produce pro-duce side buds on shoots (spruce and fir), cut the tips back where you want them in early spring. 2. Fir trees grow thicker by pruning terminal ter-minal buds. 3. On pines, pinch off candles when they snap off easily in late spring or early summer. Clip or shear junipers in early spring spr-ing to keep in' bounds, in symmetrical sym-metrical form, and to promote density. den-sity. Clip candles on Muhos while soft, to half-size. This will make the miniature pine more compact. Once established, hedges need frequent fre-quent trimming. To get them going, severly cut back young plants after installation. This will help establish bushiness close to the ground. Let them grow through spring then cut again to within three inches of initial cuts. From then on, trim as needed, back to within four inches of the original cut, until they reach the preferred height. Trim sides first, then tops. Recommended shapes for hedges are broader at the base than at the top, so that light and water can reach lower branches. Triangular shapes are best in snowy-icy regions. Newly transplanted and young plants: Pare down one-third of a transplanted bareroot nursery stock to make up for its compact roots. Young trees need pruning only to direct growth and effect good branching bran-ching arrangement. Keep the limbs which are attached to trunk at wide angles (35 degrees or more). Correct vertical spacing to at least eight inches in-ches between major branches, as it is important to the mature tree's strength and appearance. Correct radial spacing sothat no limbs will be hanging over another. Five to seven limbs should fill the circle. Finally, in next growing seasons, leave more shoots to provide protection protec-tion and fill out the tree. One of the best secrets of pruning is to select plants which are the right size for the space in the first place. This will ultimately save you a lot of trouble. For more information on pruning, consult a professional arborist or consult this reading list, which was very helpful in compiling this article: arti-cle: Community Forest Manual, Johnson. Put out by the U.S.U. Extension Ex-tension Service, Logan. (Available at Park City Library). Pruning Ornamental Or-namental Trees and Shrubs, Pamphlet Pam-phlet published by the U.S. Department Depart-ment of Agriculture. Home & Garden Bulletin No. 165. If you would like a question concerning con-cerning gardening answered, write to the Garden Editor, P.O. Box 3597, Park City, Ut., 84060. Wrong When possible, cut back to a side bud and make the cut at a slant. A is cut correctly. cor-rectly. B is too slanting. C is too far from the bud. D is too close to the bud. IEDEDIAHS Monday Night MEXICAN BUFFET $6.95 includes salad bar .50 0 Margarita set-ups with buffet (BYOB) Landmark Inn 649-1 645 Kimball Junction THE I2IS3 CAMEL LTD. IRISH PISS MEXICAN GRUB ska lAWWcrlav Nieht Taco Dinner $3.95 Thursday Night Enchilada Dinner $3.95 BYOB for frozen margaritas Hours: Tues-Thurs 6 p.m. till closing Fri-Sun Noon till closing Closed Mondays W2k PLANT A CLASSIFIED AD. 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