• For most shrubs August, September or October is a bad time to prune.  Most shrubs are getting ready for the winter during these months and pruning will make it more likely they will receive some injury from the cold.
• If the shrub or tree blooms late winter or spring wait until after it blooms, then prune it May, June or July.  The sooner you prune the bigger the flower display will be the following year.
• If the shrub or tree blooms in the summer then dormant pruning between November and February is usually a good option.  Some plants can even be pruned as late as March.  The younger a plant is the more likely it is to be damaged by a cold winter, and should be left to be pruned until February if possible.
• There are many plants in the landscape that are not known for their flowers.  For many of these plants dormant pruning is what is recommended; however, if you have questions you can contact the Master Gardeners by phone at 989-5380.

The next question is how or where to make the cut.  This will depend on how you want the plant to look.  Many shrubs in the landscape are pruned into various shapes using heading back cuts or sheering.  The effect is a nice smooth surface creating uniform circles, squares or other geometric shapes. 

There is a way to create a hedge and still keep the natural beauty and shape of the plant.  This can be achieved by selectively pruning out limbs that have overgrown their space.  A heading back cut can still be used, but this time it is only on selected branches and it is usually cut back below where you want the plant to be.  This hides the cut stem and allows the plant to grow out to the boundary of the space giving a soft, natural look.

In some cases an entire limb needs to be removed to the main trunk.  With most trees and shrubs there is a swollen area at the base of the branch where it connects to the trunk of the tree.  If you will find this swollen area and make the cut about 1/8 to ¼ of an inch out from this swollen area, the tree will be able to heal over this wound, in most cases, in one to two years for most small branches.

If you have questions on pruning contact a Johnston County Master Gardener by phone 989-5380 or by e-mail jcemastergardener@gmail.com .

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Ulmus parvifolia

Lacebark Elm or Chinese Elm

 Root Knot Nematode

• Plants that were planted in the fall or summer may need some supplemental water through the winter.  Check them occasionally by digging down a couple of inches in the root zone to check soil moisture.
• Watering just before a cold snap helps plants survive bitter temperatures.
• Check trees and shrubs for insect eggs – they are often found on small twigs.  Remove and destroy them before they hatch in the spring.
• Don’t forget to enjoy the flowers and berries of winter.  Rosemary, hellebores, camillia, holly, and others.
• When browsing through seed catalogs look for key words such as “heat tolerant” or “tolerates humidity”.
• Trees and shrubs infested with scale insects or spider mites can be treated now with horticultural oil to smother the live insects and eggs.
• Leaves on the grass can be collected and put into a compost pile to be used later in the gardens.  Leaves from diseased trees should NOT be put in the compost pile.
• If you are trying to preserve some of those tender tropicals in containers add some extra light with florescent tube lights.  Mix cool white and warm white tubes for better growth.
• Perennials like daylily, Shasta daisy, and peony can be divided when the ground is dry enough to be worked.
• Some evergreen shrubs like boxwoods, euonymus, and privet can be pruned now to save time as spring approaches.
• After camellias bloom and drop flower petals, collect the petals and add them to the compost pile.  This reduces the chance of petal blight.

• Prepare the vegetable garden now for planting in February by removing winter weeds and adding some fresh compost to the soil.
• Cool season vegetables like carrots, beets, peas, lettuce, mustard, radish, spinach, potatoes, and turnips can be direct seeded into the garden in February.
• Mulch strawberry beds for winter protection with a layer of wheat straw or pine needles 2-3” thick.  Pull mulch away when blooms appear in the spring.
• Asparagus crowns can be planted now through March.  New plants should not be harvested for 2 to 3 years.

• Check holiday plants such as Christmas cactus and other gifts for insects before placing them near other houseplants.
• Amaryllis bulbs bloom best in thigh quarters, so place them in a pot with only about an inch of space around the bulb.
• Let houseplants rest.  Most houseplants are semi-dormant during the short days of winter.  Save the fertilizer for when the start growing again in the spring.
• Keep a look out for any insects that may have hitched a ride into the house on plants.  Most can be easily controlled with insecticidal soaps.
• Check bulbs that were dug and stored for the winter such as caladium and dahlia for soft rot.  Discard any that have become soft and add fresh sawdust to the rest to absorb any excess moisture.  Bulbs that are wrinkled may be too dry, add a little moisture to keep them from drying out completely.

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