Ryan's Guide to Your Lawn & Landscape
October 15th, 2009
Finally, prune for height. Prune top growth by cutting the stem back to a leaflet or stem. (This prevents “stubs” which make the plant look funny.) The goal is for the top growth to be pruned to essentially the same height. Step back frequently to make sure the shrub looks the way you want it.
The first shrub you prune may not look perfect, but after two or three pruning cycles, you will get the hang of it. Hand pruning may be more tedious than the hedge pruners we talked about, but the overall result and health of the plant will be much improved by taking a little extra time to do the job right.
Day 1 Day 2
Tags: Kansas, Midwest, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning
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October 13th, 2009
The first step to pruning is to evaluate the shrub. Are you pruning it just because it is getting too big for the space, or do you have other concerns (unhealthy stems, thick, crowded growth at the base)?
The first cuts are to remove any dead branches. Cut these at the point where they are attached to the rest of the plant. Next, prune branches that are too close to the ground (any that are laying on or touching the ground). Again, prune these where they attach to the rest of the shrub, deep in the plant. Also remove any irregular branches.
Take a step back and see how the shrub looks at this point. Remember, a properly pruned shrub is one you can’t tell you’ve pruned.
Day 1
Tags: Kansas, Midwest, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning, shrubs
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October 12th, 2009
Photo from Mid City NurseryThis week, I thought I would go over some shrub pruning tips.
Pruning can be an art – it takes a lot and time and effort to prune a plant in to a chess piece or loveable animal – but for us mere mortals, a few basic steps in the right direction is all we need.
Let’s start with shrub pruning. Shrubs, usually, are pruned more often than large trees and, with a few guidelines; most homeowners will learn the knack without much effort. Bear in mind, when shrubs are pruned well, they look like they haven’t been pruned at all.
You won’t need a lot of different tools to prune shrubs effectively. A pair of hand pruners (I prefer Felco hand pruners) will cut any branch up to 3/4 inches in diameter.
Tags: Kansas, Midwest, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning, shrubs
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August 18th, 2009
This is Tom, getting ready to push the offending limb out of the tree.
This should give you a good idea of the size of limbs we are talking about.
He has the base of it in his hand.
The Sycamore tree in our front yard has been giving my husband fits this year. He has had to remove several broken limbs, and each storm seems to knock a few out as well.
We are both hoping this is just a stage. The tree is getting older, and I am crossing my fingers that this is not the beginning of the end. I think at a certain point, trees have given all they’ve got and they enter the last phase of their lives–the one where they shed branches like crazy and are generally a menace.
I think the Sycamore should be able to give us several more years of enjoyment.
Have you ever had to remove a tree because it had reached the end of its road? When did you make the decision to cut it down?
Tags: Kansas, landscape maintenance, Midwest, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning
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July 24th, 2009
This is what the spirea looks like today. I couldn’t remember which shrub I took a picture of, so I included pictures of two spirea that were both rejuvenation pruned. You can see that one has grown more than the other, but they are both healthy and thriving.
Tags: Kansas, Midwest, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning, shrubs
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July 22nd, 2009
This spring, my husband pruned the spirea in our front bed drastically. This is what it looked like when he was finished:
See those tiny, short branches sticking up? That is what our spirea looked like immediately after pruning.
Rejuvenation pruning (the official name for this practice) can help large, unruly shrubs get back in shape. Shrubs that have grown together, or have simply outgrown their space, may benefit from drastic pruning.
Not all shrubs respond well to this type of pruning, be sure to research your specific situation before taking the plunge and pruning your shrubs to almost nothing.
Tags: Kansas, Midwest, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning, shrubs
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June 15th, 2009
I really like the foliage of my oak leaf hydrangea. I have three of these shrubs growing in my landscape bed in back. They will hide my neighbor’s fence as they grow (and provide a nice backdrop to my perennials). Oak leaf hydrangeas can grow 6-8 feet tall by about 4-6 feet wide. The location is somewhat protected because there is a large pin oak in my backyard that lends itself to providing shade and protection to my garden area below.
Even though this plant is often grown for its oak-leafed shaped foliage, when it gets flowers it is an extra special treat. I snapped this picture of one of its blooms. (It is about a foot long!) Bloom time is important when pruning flowering shrubs. This hydrangea blooms on new wood, so I remove last year’s flowers in the early spring before it leafs out. (That way I can enjoy them over the winter!)
I highly recommend this shrub for your garden or landscape bed if you have the space. It is a favorite of mine.
Tags: flower, Kansas, Midwest, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning, shrubs, suggested planting
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May 28th, 2009
My husband bought this clematis last year. It did pretty well last summer, but this year it has really taken off.
Pruning clematis can be tricky, but this article from Clematis Nursery is thorough and easy to follow.
The best part of our clematis, is that it is one of our “cheap” plants. We buy just as many flowers at the local hardware store as we do at more specialized nurseries, and the clematis was one such purchase. (My grandma can’t BELIEVE we do this–she is a very gifted gardener with extensive flower beds.)
You’ll notice the clematis is actually climbing a telephone pole. I am not sure what a landscape designer would think about that. I consider my current landscape a field trial of sorts. I plant things I think I may like and experiment with pairings, placement, etc. Someday, I will have a well-thought out landscape. For now, I am just enjoying playing in the dirt and trying things out.
Tags: flower, Kansas, Midwest, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning
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May 19th, 2009
I’ve been concerned about my roses (the same ones that had aphids earlier in the year). I noticed some of the stems wilting and turning brown. I got out my felco hand pruner and cut out the dead branches. They are pictured above.
Upon closer examination, I noticed the center of the cane was hollow (see above). I think I am seeing the evidence left behind by a rose cane borer. I did a little research and the best defense to this pest is careful monitoring. Prune out affected branches as soon as they are noticed. You need to prune down past where the cane is hollow, then seal off the pruning cut with a drop of Elmer’s glue. Some experts recommended putting a drop of food coloring in the glue so you can keep track of the cuts that you’ve sealed as you prune your roses. I think I will try it! I’ll let you know how it goes.
Tags: flower, insect, Kansas, Midwest, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning
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March 28th, 2009
This is a burning bush that we got from someone last year. They were removing it from their landscape, so my husband brought it home and we planted it in the back yard. It is actually quite an old specimen. You can tell from the large stems that is has.
Since it has had time to become established, I decided to try to thin it before the leaves come out. (My before picture is shown above. The after picture is shown below.)
I wanted to thin it for two reasons: First, burning bush are known for getting spider mites (at least here in the midwest) during our hot summer months. Thinning them can increase air circulation and may help reduce the degree of infestation.
My second purpose for thinning it is to try to generate more new, younger growth. I will see how the shrub responds to this pruning. If it responds well, I will try to remove more of the old stems next season. Large, overgrown shrubs can be rejuvenated this way without loosing the overall size of the shrub. (Remove about 1/3 of the oldest canes or stems each season.) I’ll let you know how is responds.
Tags: Kansas, Midwest, Missouri, Oklahoma, pruning, shrubs
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