Autumn is the time that we can prune and trim plants before these go dormant for the winter months. There are lots of branches that need to be cut from trees and bushes and this is actually good for the plants in the coming spring season. Most gardeners agree that pruning and trimming at this time of the year is good for the dormant plants as these will support new growth during the spring.

While there are no set standards to winterize your garden because every garden is different, there plenty of chores that can be done now without much effort. For example, if you need to trim some trees of branches that can be easily removed, be sure that you have the right tool for the job. In general, big tree trimming should be done by a professional arborist. However, if a pole pruner is all you need, then be sure to remove no more than a third of the total bud and leaf-bud bearing branches.

Avoid scalping the tree and be sure to cut to the tree’s natural shape. Remove dead branches but make sure these are not dormant ones that can stay on the tree. One way to find out is if the branch looked dead and had no leaves in the summer, it is time to remove it.

You can take a look and prune out diseased limbs and cut below the diseased areas. If you see branches that are in your way where you walk or mow, trim them. You can also take a look for branches that look like they are crossing and prune back the smaller ones. Branches should be cut next to the branch collar which is the area that the bark and trunk meet.

If you have dogwood, walnut, birches and maple trees, these should be pruned in the summer or fall because these will bleed sap when pruned in early spring or late winter. Use caution when pruning evergreens that have needles such as pine or spruce because these will not bounce back from a bad pruning. My recommendation is to only remove diseased or dead branches from evergreens. Photo courtesy of Wikepedia.org.

If you have a rose garden like I do, be sure to prune them in the fall or winter. Somehow, roses do benefit from fall and winter pruning and will come back stronger in the spring. Climbing roses should be pruned right before the leaf buds break and in colder climates this should be done late winter or early spring when danger of frost has passed. Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org.

Flowering shrubs that you planted as hedges should be trimmed with smooth hedge trimmers. The thing to remember for pruning flowering shrubs is that if it flowers after May, they should be pruned in late winter or early spring and you will have lots of blooms in the summer. Flowering trees like crepe myrtles should be cut back in late winter but spring flowering such as dogwoods and crabapples should be pruned right after they bloom. Photo courtesy of hgtv.com.

To your gardening success,
Diana

© admin for Best Flower Gardening, 2008. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: crepe myrtle, dogwood trees, fall garden chores, flowering shrubs, maple trees, prunning evergreens, rose garden, shrubs, Tree Trimming, trees, walnut trees, winter cleaning, winter yard clean up

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

If you are planning to add roses to your flower garden, consider getting Knock Out roses. These come in red or pink blooms with a very nice Tea Rose fragrance. I prefer the red blooming and I find these to be one of the finest landscaping roses ever grown. How do I know? Because I have fourteen red blooming Knock out rose shrubs in my garden and they are absolutely beautiful.

The Knock Out rose was produced by breeder William Radler and it is considered to be the best ever landscape rose by many flower gardeners because these tolerate heat and drought conditions. They are very hardy and disease resistant, do not get those annoying blackspots, and it tolerates Japanese beetles, leafhoppers, rose midege and other pests.

These roses are breathtakingly beautiful with great clusters of 3 1/2-inch blooms. When these roses begin to bloom early in the spring, they continue to bloom for many, many weeks at a time. It then rests for a little while and repeats its blooming season for the remainder of summer and continues into late fall. This rose truly has one of the longest blooming cycles in the rose family. To add more beauty to your flower garden, when the blooms finally end, the color continues with burgundy like fall foliage.

So, if you love roses as much as I do, consider getting the Knock Out. You will be glad you did as it is one of the few roses to be considered maintenance free.

© admin for Best Flower Gardening, 2008. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Most people would have you believe that rose gardening is difficult. And, I am here to tell you that it is not. I find rose gardening easier to do than other flowers. Why? Because you plant your rose bushes once and with a little care, you will have beautiful roses for many years to come. Nothing is more beautiful than a rose garden in full bloom!

To get you started with your rose garden, remember that good soil is key in order to have healthy beautiful roses. It has been said that Soil Syrup is the answer for most soil problems. It can be applied directly to the plant or sprayed-on to condition your rose garden. This will improve that pH level so that Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium and trace minerals are made available to your roses. Also, the soil should be well drained but hold some moisture to prevent the roots from drying out completely.

When you are done conditioning the soil, begin planting your roses and be sure to read and follow the instructions given with each rose bush. Gently remove the rose bush from its container and place it in the area that you want to plant it. Cover the hole with soil and gently press the soil down around the rose bush. Water your roses regularly for the first two months until they take hold and are fully established. I prefer to water roses in the morning.

Roses love sun, so it is best to plant them in a sunny area. I also feed the roses in the spring and mid-summer with systemic rose food. One of the best in the market is Bayer 3 in 1 Systemic Rose food. Just follow the instructions given and your roses will stay healthy and beautiful for many years.

Rose gardening is not difficult and when in doubt, do a little research to get answers to your questions. With a little work and perseverance, you can create your dream rose garden.

To your dream rose garden,

Diana

© admin for Best Flower Gardening, 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh