yard work, and we always get questions about getting

yard work, and we always get questions about getting a jump on springtime chores. Quite a few of the questions we receive concern pruning and using dormant sprays.

These are chores some homeowners would like to get out of the way, so they can concentrate on planting when spring weather arrives. It’s tempting to get out the pruning shears when the temperature is 60 degrees, but may not be the best idea. There are several reasons for waiting a few more months before hauling out the pruning equipment.

First of all, any pruning cut creates a wound on the plant. The plants are dormant now, so healing cannot take place until next spring. Pruning in late winter or early spring creates wounds that will heal quickly. Also, no matter how hard we try, some of our pruning cuts will be downright ugly. If we make the cut now, we have to look at it all winter. If we make the cut in April, it will be covered by new growth rather quickly.

Pruning during mid-winter can also decrease the bud hardiness of spring flowering plants. Flower buds are already present on those plants that bloom in April and May.

Research has shown that spring flowering plants pruned at this time of year are more likely to be injured by late winter cold spells than unpruned plants. This is the reason that many peach orchards wait until just before bloom time to prune the trees.

Despite these facts, some people will still go out and prune their tree and shrubs over the next few weeks, and in a normal year, everything will probably come through fine. But, we have had anything but normal weather recently. So, to stack the odds in our favor, it is better to wait awhile before embarking on a pruning streak.

Concerning the questions about dormant oil, we probably won’t injure anything right now, it is just a matter of tim