Maggie's Farm

In Yankeeland, we are getting towards the end of the time for dormant pruning of fruit trees and grape vines - and anything else that appreciates dormant pruning. I was busy this afternoon, trying to catch up before it's too late. You have to do it yourself nowadays to do it right, because the Mexicans don't have a clue.

Forget fertilizer. Assertive pruning is the best thing that can be done for deciduous flowering shrubs and fruit-bearing plants.

When you finish, the thing looks terrible, but it will thank you later with its production and vigor.

I follow these guidelines, pretty much.

For healthy, happy shrubs, I prune out, from the bottom, about a quarter to a third of the oldest growth every year. I prune or shape only ornamentals from the top. Deciduous shrubs, when pruned from the top, make you look like a gardening idiot, unless it's a hedge-type thing.

(And hey, Dylanologist: That huge splendid Crepe Myrtle in your front yard - I'd thin the heck out of it about now - from the bottom. Too many small shoots. I'd leave only 6-10 of the big ones. Just my opinion, and unsolicited at that.)