While the sunlit hours of the day are increasing and temperatures are warming a bit, getting our hands into the soil to begin gardening is still a ways off. This is, however, a great time to prep some other things in our yards for more blooms and fruit this spring and summer.
It's pruning season, and knowing some rules of thumb is key.
Does it bloom late in the season? Prune it now
If the plants and shrubs in your yard, like Rose of Sharon, clethra and butterfly bush, bloom after July 1, now is the time to trim them back. These types of plants have flowers that form at the end of their branches and pruning them now helps to stimulate more new growth.
And any fruit trees in your yard, like apples, pears, plums and cherries, or berry bushes like blueberries, should get a good pruning now.
Check out some past episodes of All Things Gardening for the best pruning practices.
More: Pruning techniques to create fuller and more productive fruit trees
Is it an early bloomer? Hold off on pruning
Shrubs and flowering trees like lilacs, forsythias, weigelas, ninebarks and rhododendrons that show off their blossoms early in the season (think before July 1), should not be pruned until a bit later. That's because these plants' flower buds are already set and will be flowering in the next couple of months. Pruning them now would result in fewer blooms this spring.
So, if your flowering shrubs and trees bloom in May, wait to prune them till June. And you'll have just a month to complete all your pruning. Aim to get it done by July 1, before they set flower buds for next year.
If you just can't wait and would like a bit of early season color indoors right now, try forcing flowering branches! Just cut a few branches with buds on them from your flowering trees and shrubs, bring them indoors and place them in water. They'll bloom in a week or two. (Just know that if you cut too many of those branches, you'll have fewer flowers on the tree or shrub this spring!)
Special instructions for pruning hydrangea
Blooming shrubs like hydrangea come with their own set of pruning instructions, and pruning these all depends on which type you have.
The types you can trim soon are the panicle and arborescens hydrangeas. This time of year, you'll notice dead branches on these shrubs. Come April or so, you'll begin to see buds starting to swell on the branches. Once those buds form, determining what to trim will be easier, as you'll be able to see where the dead growth and the new buds are. Pruning too early could result in you cutting off some of the buds that would form flowers this year.
More: Prune hydrangea with confidence using these handy tips
When you do start snipping this type of hydrangea, aim to prune it into a nice structure, and from there, the shrub will grow vigorously and fill out with new growth and plenty of flowers later in the season.
The macrophylla or blue hydrangea types — those are the types with large, puffball-like blossoms — should be pruned right after they're done flowering. Even climbing hydrangeas and the "Endless Summer" type, which will bloom a couple different times during the summer, will benefit from pruning right after the first flush of flowers.
What to do with black oil sunflower seed shells
Q: Hi Charlie, What is the best way to compost black oil sunflower seed shells? I’m not certain but I think I read something about the shells having some sort of plant inhibitor in them. I have an abundance of shells under my feeder that are appearing as the snow melts. - Karen, in Elmore
A: Those shells will, indeed, kill the grass or any plants under the feeder and inhibit their growth. Instead, rake them all up and toss them in your compost pile. Mix the shells in well with the compost, so they can heat up and break down.
It may take a while as the shells are very woody, but when they break down, they'll lose that growth inhibitor and they'll be fine to use in your compost.
Any remedy for the critter tunnels on the lawn?
Q: Which critter has created surface tunnels all over my lawn this winter? This week’s snow melt has exposed them and it is very unsightly. And, what can I do to resurrect those areas? And what can I do to prevent this from happening next year? Yes, there is a bird feeder nearby, but the tunnels are four feet and beyond from the feeder. - Elizabeth, via email
A: The likely culprits are mice or voles (or both)! These critters are looking for something to eat under the cover of the snow, and as it melts, you're seeing where they've been foraging.
This type of wildlife can damage your lawns and gardens and can eat your perennial flowers and even some flower bulbs.
More: 4 ways to keep burrowing rodents from ruining your flowering bulbs
If you're seeing a fair amount of damage and want to deter them from your lawns and gardens, try an organic, horticultural-grade castor oil. It comes in many forms, like spray or pellets, and has a strong odor that moles, mice and voles don't like.
This fall or winter before the snow comes, spread some castor oil pellets or spray some around your lawn and gardens, and the mice and voles will stay away. As for a remedy this year, rake out the lawn as best as you can and check and monitor your perennials and bulbs to see how they fared.
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