Fall Pruning
As you cut your lawn for the last time this year there are a few other details that need to be addressed in the yard before a long winters rest. Fall clean up is now upon us and our customers have been coming in with inquiries about what can be cleaned up and pruned at this time of year.All annuals can be removed and most dormant perennials can be trimmed and composted. Gr*sses can wait until the spring allowing them to blow in the wind and create beautiful winter interest all season long. To ensure that fall mums survive the winter, mulch their roots heavily with wood mulch or leaves.
Tender bulbs such as cannas, calla lilies, dahlias etc. are ready to be lifted out of the ground to prevent rotting through the fall and winter. Place them on a fence or picnic table to dry for a day or two. Sort through the bulbs and corms and only keep the firm ones. Powder the bulbs with a fungicide and place them in a box with peat moss in a cool dark place such as a basement. The peat moss will absorb remaining moisture. It is necessary to check the bulbs once a month to ensure that none of them have rotted. If there are rotted bulbs, remove them to eliminate contamination.
Finally, what should be pruned in the fall and why?
Climbing roses are the only thing at this time of the year that will be healthier due to heavy pruning. Cut back to one meter to prevent ice damage. Other than that, this is not the time of year for major trimming. As plants gradually become dormant, so does their natural healing mechanisms to callus over fresh cuts. As a result, open wounds allow the plants to become more susceptible to fungal disease and insect infestations.
If the limb is dead or a safety hazard, than trim it. If it isn’t, and you just want to trim for aesthetic purposes, than wait until spring for evergreens and most shrubs and in the summer for trees that are bleeders such as Birch, Maples, Lindens and Honeysuckles.
by Julie Van Damme
(created on Thursday, December 21, 2006)