Brief update on why orchid stems grow downwards. As epiphytic plants, they attach to sides of trees and the stems naturally grow down! By staking them up and forcing them sideways, phalaenopsis flowers are almost always upside down from their natural state. If you want it to grow upward from the leaves, you’ll need to pin the stem to a stake as it grows. Stake too late and you run the risk of breaking the stem. Yup. I just did that.
After enjoying all the indoor flowering houseplants (and some Valentine’s Day cut-flowers, too), I want to step outside to get some fresh air and look around to see what trees and shrubs need pruning.
As gardeners, we prune woody plants for multiple reasons but mainly for a healthier plant, better fruit or general aesthetics. No matter when or what I prune, I always cut back to the trunk or a healthy branch or leaf bud. If you prune back to the trunk, leave a small protruding nub that is the branch collar. Your tree will heal better.
Pruning can be a relaxing, do-it-when-you-can activity for February and March while not much else needs seeing to. During dormancy when foliage is gone, you can observe the structure of shrubs and trees. They aren’t actively growing. You have time to wait until the snow has shrunk to about two inches deep and the ground is still frozen. About now, I will take my folding saw and sharp bypass pruners out on a walk through the yard to find broken or crossed branches, or weak growth. With the heavy snows and fierce winds lately, there has been some damage.
Obviously, wind can damage trees severely. A snapped limb may fall onto another tree or branch, ripping it apart. These ragged breaks invite insects and disease once warm weather returns. For these types of broken branches, prune back towards the next healthy branch or trunk. Use loppers or a saw for branches larger than ¾” in diameter. Ultimately I want to remove the ragged wood by making a clean, even cut at a spot where the bark is still tight against the branch. At this healthy point, the tree’s growing layer can rebuild tissue and form a healing ‘scar’.
I hire an arborist to do the big trees and high limbs, but for my young peach tree and newly planted flowering shrubs, I’ll do the pruning myself. A list of certified local arborists can be found at the Ward’s Nursery website, Certified Arborist Archives – Ward’s Nursery & Garden Center: wardsnursery.com
Plants in our yards have very little competition for light and water compared to trees and shrubs in the forest. With all that opportunity for capturing light and water, the plant goes into overdrive sending out multiple, many-twigged branches. We prune trees and shrubs when young to encourage the plants to have stronger branches, more airflow around leaves, and ultimately healthier growth.
As ornamentals, trees and shrubs may be used either to frame or hide the view. Pruning carefully – that is with some regularity but not too much at once – will help maintain the aesthetic. For flowering and fruiting plants, pruning can help reinvigorate the plant or open the branches to more sunlight for bigger and better fruit.
Today, I’ll look at my peach tree and cut back any dead branches to the healthy, plump leaf bud. The peach has a lower branch that sticks out twice as far from the trunk as any other. I’ll prune that back by half. Some of the branches have five shorter, fruiting twigs growing along the branch. I’ll thin these by cutting three back to the main branch while keeping the two thickest that grow away from the trunk.
By reducing the number of branches, I signal to the tree to put its growth energy into the remaining branches. That pruning took me about 10 minutes. If I ignore the process too many years in row, I would have an overburdened and stressed peach tree with small hard fruit prone to splitting. A little attention goes a long way. Pruning in spring encourages more growth. Pruning in fall slows growth.
For flowering shrubs, consider when they flower. When pruning to maintain a shape, cut back the ends of spring flowering shrub branches immediately after flowering. They will set their buds in the summer growing season for the following spring. Pruning the ends now will reduce your flowers, but if that lilac has been around for a few years you can thin out branches now to create airflow and to bring sunlight into the center. Always eliminate crossed or dead branches. You won’t miss the flowers and you definitely will NOT miss the powdery mildew that you prevented. Cut no more than a third of your plant.
If you cut whole branches back while thinning, try bringing them indoors for forcing! Select branches smaller than ½” in diameter and at least one foot long. You can cut long branches into shorter lengths, too. Choose stems with multiple plump flower buds. I especially like forsythia, but you could try azalea, mock orange, or spring viburnum. For trees– force pear, cherry, serviceberry, witch hazel, crabapple, redbud or even red maple.
Remove all buds that will be below the waterline in your vase. Hold stems under running hot water and cut at a sharp angle at least 1 inch above the original trim. Immediately place the stems in fresh water with floral preservative. Arrange the stems or keep them in a cool place, 45 to 55 degrees F, if you plan to arrange them later.
For more on pruning and pruning styles for specific plants, please check out these resources: International Society of Arboriculture (SA): www.treesaregood.org
Morton Arboretum: https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/tree-plant-care/plant-care-resources/pruning-deciduous-shrubs/
University of Florida Horticulture: Pruning – Landscape plants – Edward F. Gilman – UF/IFAS: ufl.edu
While I was outside looking for pruning opportunities, I also scouted for spongy moth egg masses. Remember the invasion of caterpillars from mid-May 2022? They hatched and were suddenly everywhere, floating on their delicate web balloons and landing en masse on trees, only to march up the trunks and defoliate oaks, birches, maples, etc. If you spot a gray spongy egg mass, you can spray with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil to smother those eggs. Or scrape the mass into a bucket of soapy water (not just on the ground).
These moths and their damaging early-stage caterpillars have been around New England for a century, so your efforts won’t really stop them but will be satisfying! The best control comes from two diseases that affect the moths. The caterpillar population boom usually subsides every two – four years due to a naturally occurring virus, NPV, or the fungus Entomophaga maimaiga, that was actually introduced from Japan in the early 1900s as a biological control for spongy moth. This fungus will do significant damage to their population if we have a very wet spring. Bring on those April showers!
However, more importantly, we need to be scouting for the grayish-tan egg mass of the spotted lanternfly. This invasive pest will coat the sides of targeted trees. The adults and immatures of this species damage a range of host plants by feeding on sap from stems, leaves and the trunks of trees in late spring and summer. A population has been found in Springfield, Mass. Right now, we can be on the lookout for masses present on any flat surface outdoors- including cars, trailers, wheelbarrows, etc. Inspect vehicles and property for egg masses before moving or transporting to new locations. For egg mass identification and to report a finding in Massachusetts, visit this webpage: https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/spotted-lanternfly
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I call myself the Lazy Berkshire Gardener because I don’t want to work too hard in my gardens. I want to enjoy them. I find it easier to observe my landscape and let the compost happen, the water pool up or daisies to self-sow. I look for ways to do the minimum task for the biggest impact. For example, mulching is better than spraying and much better than weeding all season. I look for beautiful low-maintenance plants that thrive in or at least tolerate my garden conditions. Plus, I’m willing to live with the consequences if I miss something.
