Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- August 28, 2007

Gardeners need restraint for late-summer pruning (:40)

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Suggested Intro:

AS THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER FLY BY, GARDENERS ACROSS THE STATE ARE LOOKING FOR MORE WAYS TO INDULGE THEIR GREEN THUMBS. BUT A PENN STATE GARDENING EXPERT ADVICES CAUTION WITH THE CLIPPERS. GARY ABDULLAH HAS MORE:

Story:

(:12) THERE'S LESS FOR GARDENERS TO DO IN THE LATE SUMMER, SO YOU MAY BE LOOKING AT A TREE OR SHRUB THAT'S GROWN A LOT THIS SEASON, THINKING IT COULD STAND A GOOD PRUNING. PENN STATE MASTER GARDENER COORDINATOR GINGER PRYOR SAYS IT'S NOT A GOOD TIME TO TRIM THINGS BACK:

Pryor Actuality:
(:18) "WHEN YOU PRUNE, YOU'RE ESTABLISHING A NEW GROWING POINT, AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE PUSHING NEW GROWTH. THAT NEW GROWTH WILL NOT HAVE TIME TO GET HARD BEFORE WINTER HITS. SO THAT SOFT, SUCCULENT NEW GROWTH WILL HAVE A TENDENCY TO GET WINTER BURN AND TO HAVE WINTER INJURY - ESPECIALLY BROAD-LEAF EVERGREENS."

(:10) YOU SHOULD ALSO AVOID USING FERTILIZER ON TREES AND SHRUBS AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, PRYOR SAYS. AS WITH PRUNING, FERTILIZING CAN SPARK UNWELCOME GROWTH. FROM PENN STATE, I'M GARY ABDULLAH.

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Learn more:

Pruning Herbaceous Plants (College of Agricultural Sciences publication in PDF format -- Adobe Acrobat Reader required)

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