My hesitation to tell you to start pruning was the weather at the time I wrote the column (it was below freezing) and the upcoming weather prediction (this past Thursday) at the time. Even more confused. I am.
I hesitated to encourage you to start pruning, even though you can, because of one factor. Pruning leads to open wounds and exposed tissue. This exposed tissue is more susceptible to freeze damage.
I didn’t want to be the one responsible for branch dieback on your plants! So, I just caused confusion.
The truth is, as I was writing last weeks’ column, a memory in the back of my mind kept pushing forth. It was a regarding a pruning issue that occurred in Wooster at the Secrest Arboretum many years ago.
The arboretum director at that time, wonderful plantsman, and friend Ken Cochran, tells the story of ruining an entire mature boxwood hedge by pruning at the wrong time. He didn’t really ruin it, but it took several years before it filled back in.
Ken had the crew prune it back, about 10-12 inches in the middle of November. Within a week, the temperatures dropped into the teens. By spring, nearly half of the four-foot hedge had died back. The cause was soft tissue because of pruning exposed to freezing temperatures.
This happens but it doesn’t happen often. It’s a risk that Ken took to get the job done. He knew it was possible but needed to get the boxwood pruned.
When making recommendations, I try to err on the low-risk side. But the reality is that sometimes jobs must be finished, and the timing isn’t always perfect.
Another good example is seeding grass in the fall. The recommended time is late August to early September. I am sure that some of you have seeded a lawn in October and were successful.
The issue with seeding is that if the grass germinates and is young and tender, and we get a hard freeze at this stage, the seedlings are killed.
In terms of pruning, I would feel safe telling you today that you can start anytime this next week, knowing that if the temperature drops in the teens, you may have dieback.
The chances of this happening start to decrease in March and you want to get pruning completed before growth emerges. Just realize the risk in this case.
By the way, viticulturists (grape for wine farmers) who have large orchards take this risk during the winter. If they have many vines, which all must be hand pruned yearly, it sometimes takes all winter to do it.
I plan on pruning this next week so I say, William, go forth and prune!
Pamela Corle-Bennett is the state master gardener volunteer coordinator and horticulture educator for Ohio State University Extension. Contact her by email at bennett.27@osu.edu.
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