Pruning, along with spreading the branches, is the first step in developing a scaffold structure for an apple tree. Clothespins are used when branches are four to six inches long and are placed in the crotch angle of the tree to form the right angle for best growth.
If you plan to plant fruit trees this spring, I encourage you to visit ohioline.osu.edu and click on ‘Home, Yard, and Garden’. Then search for apples, peaches, or any fruit for information. These provide specific growth details for each type of fruit to maximize production.
If you are planning on apples for the first time, check out Dr. Gary Gao’s factsheet “Growing Apples in the Home Orchard.” Apples are a bit more complicated in the beginning, so learn all you can before starting.
We also have fact sheets on blackberries, raspberries, grapes, currants, gooseberries, and jostaberries. Gary is our small fruit specialist and does an excellent job on these topics. You will also find information on specific pest problems of fruits.
The final pruning topic in this series is perennials. If you didn’t cut them back in the late fall/winter, it’s time to start, before new growth emerges.
I usually use my weed eater to cut back old foliage such as ornamental grasses and other large plants. Using a weed eater on dead foliage doesn’t hurt a perennial.
There is an exception. With perennials that are somewhat woody and have pithy stems, such as coneflower, asters, and others, cut stems to around 8-10 inches. I leave several of these stems in the garden, and the new growth eventually covers them up.
The purpose of doing this is to leave the stems for our native bees that nest in these stems. This spring, as they emerge, they search for these types of stems and carve out nests for their family.
Native bees use this during this growing season and overwinter in them for next year. Therefore, leave a few dead stems in the garden.
I have a large perennial garden and always leave woody stems towards the back of the garden. By the middle of summer, you can’t even tell they are there. Developing pollinator habitats can be done in any landscape with a few small steps, such as providing this nesting habitat.
Spring is near, and new growth is emerging – it’s time to get in the garden. I can’t wait.
Pamela Corle-Bennett is the state master gardener volunteer coordinator and horticulture educator for Ohio State University Extension. Contact her by email at bennett.27@osu.edu.
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