Pruning Trees

It's that time of year! The sun comes out and teases us that spring is on it's way, even though the world is still white and cold. From my years working in the gardens, that combination whispers "Pruning!"

I am no pruning expert, but I do follow a few basics that guide me through most trees successfully.

1. Cut out any dead or diseased branches so the tree can heal over, also preventing further pest/disease problems.

2. Remove branches that are crossing or growing into the tree. I tend to be conservative on this so as not to cut out too much wood. If you can tell that a branch will only ever grow into the canopy and cause trouble, or that branches are already crossing and rubbing, exposing and weakening the bark, remove them.

3. Remove suckers (from the base of the tree) and water sprouts, which are young (you can tell new growth by the color difference) and tend to grow much faster than the other branches. This may be a difficult thing to identify, but some ornamental fruit trees--pears in particular--tend to have tons of water sprouts that take over the tree. They need to be nipped back to a lower, outer bud to keep the canopy open and re-direct growth.  

My young ornamental pear trees haven't water spouted too much, but they did have some crossing and erratic branches that needed guidance.  The idea is to direct all growth of the buds up and out, to keep the trunk open to light and air.

I don't know how well this illustrates, but the second picture is taken after I removed some crossing branches and nipped back a water spout on the left.

My trees are still very young and don't require much attention, but all trees should be examined at least once a year for problems. As mentioned before, pruning is typically done in the winter or early spring before buds swell, as soon as you can get to them with ladder and tools.

I have yet to attack my fruit trees, which are a whole different ball game, and with which I am still unfamiliar! All I know is that pear trees have to be shaped very differently than apple trees! For this information, and basically anything else I don't know, I like to turn to my state extension service website, which is through Utah State. Here are some great guides they put out with lots more detail and information:

Pruning the Orchard: http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/HG_363.pdf

Pruning Landscape Trees: http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/NR_FF_004.pdf 

Tulipomania

Definition: An excessive love for tulips. A violent passion for the acquisition or cultivation of tulips. People going crazy for tulips....

There really was such a thing. For a period of time in the Netherlands in the 1600's, tulip bulbs sold for as much as 10 times a Dutchman's annual income.  

"The story of the Semper Augustus, the most celebrated and expensive tulip for most of the seventeenth century, is a reminder that beauty did in fact underwrite the mania... The consensus was that the Semper Augustus was the most beautiful flower in the world, a masterpiece. 'The color is white, with Carmine on a blue base, with an unbroken flame right to the top.' 'Never did a Florist see one more beautiful than this.' There were only a dozen or so specimens in existence."

This quote comes from a book I am reading called The Botany of Desire, by Michael Pollan (yes, the same one who wrote the best-selling food books The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food. That's how I found this one!). I figured since I can't be outside working with plants, I can be learning about them, and this book is an eye-opening read! The subtitle is "A plant's eye view of the world," which is obviously a different view than I am used to taking. We often think of ourselves as domesticating plants, but he makes a persuasive case that plants have, in fact, domesticated us in many ways.
 

I am loving the section on tulips, and learning so much about their history. They seem common to most of us, lining flower beds and borders everywhere you look in the spring. But forcing them indoors in the dead of winter has definitely made me appreciate them more--a bright bloom of color when, and where, you least expect it. Maybe I am developing tulipomania myself?

Pollan speaking again... "Looking on my own tulip... I can see it has the classic form of the single tulip: six petals arrayed in two tiers (three inner petals cupped inside three outer ones)... the petals look soft and silky but are not: to the touch they're unexpectedly hard, like orchid petals... The long, curving stem ... is nearly as beautiful as the flower it supports."
 

The daffodils are in full bloom on the kitchen table too. As always, I am in awe of the wonders of nature!

Valentine Flowers

I was really hoping my bulbs would be showing their colors for Valentine's Day, but alas, they are still working on it. The growing things in my kitchen make me happy anyway!

While Mike doesn't love the cliche nature of Valentine's Day sales, he is a sucker for giving me flowers for special occasions. There's nothing like a dozen velvety, spicy-sweet smelling roses under your nose! The deep fuchsia color he chose is gorgeous.

Hats off to flowers for making a day great!