Get out the pruners and shape up some plants!

Long Handled Pruners

Hand Pruners are the basic pruning tool

By Labor Day, the flowers are taking care of themselves and the veggies only need picking, so most gardeners can easily turn their attention to pruning their trees and shrubs. Late summer pruning is very good for deciduous trees, especially. You can remove unneeded foliage that can overload with snow and break branches when those early snowstorms come before the leaves have dropped.

Make sure you have the right tools for the job:

• Hand pruners are the basic pruning tool. Use pruners to cut branches up to 1 inch in diameter.
• Long-handled pruners cut branches up to a 2 to 2 ½ inch diameter.
• A hand saw can cut larger branches, but use it standing on the ground.
• A pole pruner or pole saw will extend your reach high into the tree. Again, use it while standing on the ground.
• Got a ladder? Leave it in the garage. If you need a ladder to prune, you need to call a tree specialist because he will have the right equipment for the job.

What can you prune in the fall? Basically most shrubs and deciduous trees that need to be lightened to avoid early storm damage or that have overgrown the available space.

Are there plants you shouldn't prune now? Spring-flowering plants like lilac and forsythia have already set the buds that will be next spring's flowers. So if you prune them now, you will lose those spring blooms. Prune flowering plants next spring after they have bloomed. Ornamental grasses should also be left in place for winter interest.

Tips to make the best cut:

• Avoid what's called a flush cut that severs the branch right next to the trunk of the tree. Look for the tree branch collar where the branch joins the tree and cut outside that collar.
• Never cut the main leader of a tree unless it is damaged.
• Don't chop off a branch half-way between the trunk and the tip of the branch. Either cut the whole branch off or thin it by removing secondary branches.
• Leave the pruning wounds open and natural. The tree knows what to do to seal off the cut and covering the wound with paint or tar is neither necessary nor helpful to the tree.
• If large branches need to be pruned or if you're not sure how to prune for the proper shape, call a professional arborist who has been trained to prune both for the plant's health and its good looks.

 
Tip of the Week reprinted courtesy of Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC) of which Foothills Landscape Maintenance, LLC is a member. ALCC is the only only professional organization for Colorado's landscape contracting industry statewide. Tip of the Week is copyrighted by Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado and may be forwarded or copied by its members provided proper credit is given to ALCC