If you haven’t read our last blog post, the aptly named Reasons to Prune , we suggest doing so before reading this one. A large part of good pruning includes understanding the reason you are pruning. Coming back to the reason throughout the pruning process will help you keep on track.  When you lose sight of why you are pruning, you can also easily lose sign of how to prune and what your next cut should be.

What to Prune

This post is all about what to prune and when, which are the next pruning steps to keeping your garden healthy and thriving.  Many plants don’t have to be pruned and only need occasional trimming to keep their natural form.  Unless you are creating or maintaining a special feature like a topiary, we suggest working with the plants natural shape.  It will greatly cut down on the amount of work needed.

Types of ‘Pruning’

Shearing

As discussed in the Reasons to Prune post, there are different kinds of ‘pruning”, and shearing is one.  One example of this process of cutting off the top of a plant  Ornamental grasses and ground covers like liriope respond well to being sheared; old growth is removed before new shoots emerge from the ground. Another example of shearing is cutting off the ends of all the branches, which is often done to shape a hedge.  This also works well.  Some people like defined shapes and space between each plant, and shear back rows of foundation planting into a loosely round-ish or square-ish shape.  Depending on what kind of plant you have, this may not be necessary and often times, it leads to plant decline due to lack of interior foliage. This process is often done with hand or power shearers versus pruners or loppers.

Trimming, Cutting Back and Cleaning Up

Trimming back a plant usually describes the light trimming a plant might need when it grows a random long shoot that is out of place.  Also in this category of pruning is the clean up of perennials. Shrub roses such as Knock-Out and Drift Roses also fall in this category, since they are usually getting cut back to the same height, although some selective removal of old canes may occur as well. This is a more selective process than shearing.

True Pruning

This is the process of selectively removing branches from a tree or shrub, in a slow, thought-out process, keeping the plants’ natural shape in mind and thinning out to allow more light and air into the plant canopy. This isn’t the easiest or fastest method but depending on the plant, it may be the best method.

When to Prune

There are two ways of looking at this; if you want to think of it as a calendar of chores, here is a link to our Arkansas Gardening Calendar.  You can look at each month for what should or should not be pruned at that time.

You can also think of pruning in categories and generalities; evergreen shrubs versus spring blooming shrubs.  We thought that the most helpful way to look at it might be by plant categories with a little more in depth information on each.  We start with some easy straightforward ones and build up to more complicated categories, like the ever tricky hydrangea! By the way, if that’s what you are most interested in, here is a post all about hydrangeas, include when to prune different species.

If you have a specific pruning question that isn’t addressed here, please call or email us before making the first cut. We don’t want you to cut a spring bloomer right before bloom time and miss out on all your blooms, for example!

Groundcover

A clean up of groundcovers like liriope, sometimes commonly called monkey grass, should be done before new growth begins in the spring.  February is a great time to do this.  Shearing back to remove winter damaged leaves before new green shoots emerge makes the clean up process easier and the plant will most likely flush much stronger than it would have if it was also struggling to keep damaged leaves growing.

Shearing isn’t recommended for all groundcovers; for example, vinca minor and semi-evergreen perennial groundcovers don’t really need pruning but might benefit from a light trimming. Or, if they have grown out of bounds, a heavier cut back and root prune (a whole other topic!).

Other groundcovers like Asiatic jasmine are sometimes sheared into short hedges, all the same height.  This can be done in February as well, before new growth begins.  This will help the area look more consistent as it grows.

Perennials and Hardy Ferns

Hardy ferns and most perennials (there are exceptions such as hellebores which are late winter blooming) can be cleaned up in the fall as needed. Unless you are keeping seeds for spring seeding or wildlife, spent blooms and stalks can be removed. Dead or diseased branches can be removed then as well. For non-woody, or herbaceous, perennials like hostas whose leaves die back in the first killing frost, you can remove the leaves.

A heavier handed cutting back of perennials should be done in February so the new growth comes back strong in the spring. Keeping the extra growth on between fall and late winter will help protect the plant from winter damage.

Since new growth for The Autumn fern, a popular evergreen fern, should be cut back now before new growth begins.  Also, clean up any evergreen perennials before their new growth shoots up. Phlox

Hydrangeas (Timing depends on species)

As mentioned above, hydrangeas are interesting because different species needs to be trimmed differently for best results.  Here is a link to the hydrangea post and quick details for different species are below.  Remember, if you aren’t sure which kind you have, come talk to us before pruning.

Mophead and Lacecap Hydrangeas (H. macrophylla)- After bloom in June/July

Oakleaf Hydrangeas (H. quercifolia)- After bloom

Panicle Hydrangeas (H. paniculate, includes the popular Limelight)- fall, winter, early spring

There is always a bit of confusion about when to prune everblooming shrubs like Endless Summer Hydrangeas; since they bloom all summer, you can deadhead spent blooms throughout the season, then prune in the fall.

Spring Bloomers (After Blooming)

Most spring bloomers, especially ones that bloom in the early spring, such as quince and forsythia, can be pruned after blooming ends.  Trimming in the fall or winter will remove flower buds.  Light shaping can be done at the end of the growing season as needed but keep in mind, reducing plant volume will reduce blooms.

Prune back spring blooming viburnums and loropetalums after blooming as well.

Spring blooming spireas, such as Bridal Wreath, can be thinned after blooming.  Avoid shearing back, as this will alter the graceful natural shape of the plant, in a way that’s hard to recover from.

Azalea (After spring blooming)

Azaleas have a wonderful natural form so it’s best to work with that when pruning.  Look for the tallest branches that need trimming back and follow the branch down under the canopy height you are trying to keep.  Prune just above a fork in the branch to encourage further branching.  As a good rule of thumb, do not remove more than 30% of the plant at any one time.  Since azaleas should be pruned mostly for shaping reasons, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Encore azaleas bloom often… so when do these get pruned? Same time as ‘regular’ azaleas, after the spring bloom!

Roses (Timing depends on rose type)

Prune your Knock-Out, Drift and Hybrid Tea roses around Valentine’s Day each year, but wait until after blooming to prune your climbing roses. Also wait to prune any other roses that only bloom in the spring until after they bloom.

Pruning shrub roses is pretty simple but important because they only bloom on new growth.  This is why pruning out old, unproductive canes is important, as well as removing obvious dead wood. The goal with pruning shrub roses is to encourage new growth; you can cut Drift Roses back to about 8” off the ground, in a rounded shape. With Knock-Outs, you can prune those down to about 18” off the ground, and taking note of the remaining structure left. Remove shoots that cross through other branches, or ones

Hybrid Tea roses usually have many less canes than shrub roses. Identify the healthiest looking 5 to 7 canes and keep these, pruning to a height of around 18 inches off the ground.  Remove old, unproductive canes. The easiest way to do to this is to cut the whole rose back to around 2 feet then make selective cuts and cane removals as previously described.

Ornamental Grasses (February)

The last few categories have been a little more complicated but here is an easy one!  Let grasses to their lovely winter thing until February, then gather the top growth into a bundle and tie with twine about 2 feet off the ground. Most grasses can be sheared down to a height of about 8 to 12 inches off the ground.  Taller grasses can be sheared on the higher end of the this and dwarf grasses on the lower end. The method of tying up the bunch makes clean up much easier!

Crapemyrtles (February)

This is a big one and it’s often done incorrectly. Avoid crape murder… read this post for details. Spoiler alert, less is more with crepe myrtles!

Camellias (After blooming)

Pruning of camellias is can be done for a variety of reasons and the reason will determine the pruning type. You might prune to remove dead or dying branches; this will help new growth emerge. If there is a severe scale issue, pruning the plant back hard (as well as treating the pest) could help it recover more quickly and vigorously. Pruning of camellias can also be done to re-shape, although we suggest working with the natural shape, as opposed to severe pruning or shearing. And last but not least, if you are growing yours as an espaliered tree, that will take some trimming, pruning and shaping.

As far as timing goes, any hard pruning should be done after bloom period ends, which differs between species. Lighter trimming can be done other seasons as needed but keep bloom time in mind (C. sasanqua bloom in fall/early winter, C. japonica bloom in late winter/early spring) so as to avoid removing too much before blooming.

Deciduous Trees (February)

Prune in late winter or early spring before new growth emerges.  Trimming trees should always be a thoughtful process; consider each cut before making it.  Pruning to shape trees is best done when they are young. As the trees mature, removal of branches growing into the canopy of the tree or ones crossing other branches may be needed. ‘Limbing up’ is the process of raising the canopy height of a tree and is the gradual removal of lower branches and twigs as the tree grows.

Broadleaf Evergreens (Early spring)

Prune boxwoods, hollies and other broadleaf evergreen shrubs in the spring after they flush out for the season. You can also lightly, selectively trim during the summer.

The above recommendation is for shrubby branched evergreens; ones with shoots that come out of the ground, instead of branching off a trunk are different.  Plants with this cane-like growth pattern includes  fatsia, nandina, mohonia and others. For these plant types, remove tall canes as needed to a 2-4 inches above the soil line. This thinning process won’t have to be done each year, only occasionally… and sparingly. It should only be done when these taller canes are too tall and shading out the majority of the plant canopy.

Needleleaf Evergreens

Most needleleaf evergreens don’t require trimming and can even start looking wonky with pruning so have a plan before trimming.  Evergreens grown as spirals, like Blue Point Juniper often is, will require shearing back into shape a few times a year.

Summer Blooming Shrubs (Timing depends on plant)

This is a large group of shrubs and contains many different kinds of plants.  Let’s talk through a few of the most popular, starting with summer blooming spireas such as Goldmound. Shear this plant back pretty hard in February; it blooms on new wood so the goal is to encourage strong new growth.

Indian hawthorns usually don’t require much trimming but if needed, they can be trimmed after summer blooming ends.

Gardenias can also be trimmed back after summer blooming ends. Bloom set for traditional gardenias is in the fall so avoid pruning during fall, winter or spring. This will remove flower buds. For re-blooming varieties, such as Southern Living’s Jubilation gardenia, you can prune after fall bloom.

Another summer bloomer is Rose of Sharon; this large shrub or small tree blooms on new wood and can be pruned during late winter or early spring before new growth emerges.

Annuals

Annuals only grow for one season, either the warm or cool season here in Arkansas. Trimming usually consists of cutting back leggy growth to encourage new blooms. To keep annuals as healthy as possible, remember to fertilize throughout the season!

Fruits

We have several new blog post for fruits; here are links to each.  Pruning information for blackberries is in the post; fruit trees should be pruned in February, and blueberries should be pruned in the summer.

How to Grow Blackberries in Arkansas

How to Grow Blueberries in Arkansas

Fruit Trees in Arkansas

Pruning fruits is an intricate process, and is a whole post by itself… on each fruit type!  We haven’t done these yet, so here are links to great resources from the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service.

Blueberry Production in Arkansas

Fruit Tree Pruning

Research Before Planting

If you are thinking of adding to your landscape any time soon, and will be plant shopping, take note of the mature size of each plant before purchasing.  Keeping a plant at half the mature size can be challenging to you, and potentially harmful to your plant. Choose a plant whose mature size will work in your space. We suggest measuring the space before leaving your home.  If there are windows or a porch located behind the planting area, measure how far off the ground they are.

Last but not least, if you want a more mature looking landscape now, buy an older, larger plant as opposed to more plants that will then require more pruning maintenance. And exception to this would be when growing a hedge that will require frequent shearing anyway or green screen for privacy, where the goal is for plants to grow in together.

Still have questions?  We can help; just come by and see us!

The post When and What to Prune appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

Why do we prune? What is pruning? What are the types of pruning?

Some plants need to be pruned, thinned or trimmed back while others do just fine with no shaping, and can even look worse after pruning efforts.  In this post, we want to share more about the reasons to prune and in our next post, we are going to talk more about what to prune and when (link to that post will be in next weeks’ newsletter).  You can also check out our Gardening Calendar for some timing guidelines.

Quick aside on some terms; pruning usually indicates a slower process with selective cuts. This would be when you are cutting a branch or shoot, then stepping back to consider the next before cutting.  Pruning not only cuts off shoots, it encourages new growth in that the process typically allows more light to enter the interior of a plant. Shearing usually refers to cutting back the ends of most exterior branches to create a certain shape or maintain a certain height.  With ornamental grasses and groundcovers like liriope, shearing is cutting down the entire plant to a certain height. Thinning a plant is different still and is the preferred method for plants whose shoots come out of the ground, as opposed to off main trunks or larger branches.  Thinning can also refer to the removal of interior branches on a ‘regular’ shrub or tree.

Don’t prune just to prune. There needs to be a reason or why do it? You could be turning your low maintenance landscape into a high maintenance landscape for no good reason.  And if you prune, you need to know why you are pruning to know how to prune each particular plant.

Top Reasons to Prune

Shaping Plants

The first reason to prune is to create or maintain the shape of a plant.  Let’s say you have a plant you are trying to train into or keep in a certain shape.  An example of this might be a holly, shaped into a tight, pyramidal form.  Although some hollies naturally have this shape, you will need to shear it to keep the shape, especially if you are aiming for a formal, symmetrical look. Pruning to maintain shape may be as simple as pruning back a few leggy azalea shoots after the spring blooming season.

When pruning for shape, we often see shrubs that have been sheared to the same height year after year.  These plants typically only have a very thin layer of foliage on the outside of the plant.  We suggest keeping regularly sheared shrubs in a soft pyramidal shape as opposed to round; this way the foliage on the bottom of the plant would continue to get sunlight. When they are pruned into spheres, the top of the plant shades out sunlight to lower leaves and branches.

A Little More on Shaping Plants

Some plants do better than others when consistently sheared. For example, Compacta hollies tend to lose most, if not all, of the interior foliage after years of regular shearing. Other hollies, such as Nellie Stevens holly, seem to take consistent shearing better and keep more interior foliage.

Unless you are willing to invest some time (or money to have someone else do it) on regular pruning, it’s best to work with the natural shape of the plant and consider the mature size of a plant when planning your landscape. Trying to keep a large plant at much smaller size can also stress a plant, making it more susceptible to disease and insect issues.

While there are specific times of year to do a ‘hard’ prune, most plants will be fine with a light shaping any time year.  You can go ahead and cut that wild abelia shoot off in the summer, no problem!

Create and Maintain Special Feature

All topiaries from geometric to fanciful, will require trimming or pruning. And so will espaliered trees or shrubs.  You may also choose to grow that huge loropetalum as a tree instead of a large shrubs, which will require removing lower branches. Before you cut, keep in mind that maintaining a shape that is far from a plants’ natural shape will be more work.  But many people find it therapeutic so we aren’t trying to talk you out of it!

Healthier Plants

Pruning is also often done to assist a plant in recovery from storm damage, such as the removal of branches broken under the weight of snow or ice. Portions of plants may also expire due to root injury, wind or mechanical damage. A good time to assess the situation is late winter or early spring. If branches break easily and show no green when the outer bark is scraped back, it may be a dead branch. Cut back to a living portion of the branch or further if needed to maintain a good shape. If you see dead branches during the growing season, it’s fine to prune those out then as well. If it’s winter, and you aren’t sure, feel free to wait until spring to see if the branch that might be dead leafs out and prune when it becomes obvious it won’t. Promptly address dead branches that may be hazard to people, pets or property.

You might also need to occasionally prune tree branches that have a narrow angle to the trunk as opposed to a more typical, stronger wide angle.  Picture a tree trunk and a branch growing from it.  The closer it is to a 90 degree angle, the stronger it is. The more narrow that angle is, the more susceptible to breakage it can be.  One well known example of this issue is the Bradford pear, a tree notorious for for splitting.  The natural structure of Bradfords includes narrow branches so we suggest choosing an alternate tree.  Most trees have wider branch angles and only the occasional narrow angled branch that will need to be removed.

Control Disease or Insects

Severe disease and insect infestations can be another reason to prune.  An example of this would be a crapemyrtle taken over by crapemyrtle bark scale (learn more about crapemyrtle bark scale in this post).  If you have tried all the other control methods and can’t get it under control, reducing the size of the plant can help in controlling a persistent pest.  We would caution against this being the initial go-to method of resolution though.

Thinning a shrub can increase air flow; good air flow will reduce disease and insect issues.  Thinning a plant will also make controlling these pest issues easier.

Rejuvenate Aging Plants

As mentioned above, pruning can encourage new growth, which creates another good reason to prune… to rejuvenate aging plants.  Plants don’t live forever but by taking good care of them, you can extend their lifetime.  Let’s say you just moved into a home and you are seeing plants with dead branches, or maybe the boxwoods only have foliage on the outside.

These plants might benefit from being cut back severely.  That may sound er, severe, but what we mean by that is they need to be cut back further than usually recommended to remove dead or dying branches. If the roots are healthy, new shoots should emerge and a new shape can be developed.  If the roots aren’t healthy, the plant may not recover from a hard pruning.  You might not know until you try to rehabilitate a plant.  Sometimes, these drastic measures are worth it to try to recover a plant. Sometimes not; that choice is yours to make.

Increase Blooms or Fruit

Careful pruning of fruits (both trees and brambles) will encourage blooming and therefore, fruiting. Deadheading (removal of spent blooms) shrubs or perennials that rebloom throughout the season will encourage new blooms. Shrubs like roses and butterfly bushes bloom best on younger, vigorous growth and later in the season. Since pruning encourages this growth, the action increases blooming.

Bottom Line

In conclusion; you don’t need to prune just to prune. Have a reason in mind. If you don’t start with a good reason, determining what your next cut will be is difficult.

Try to work with the plants’ natural shape; most plants have a wonderful natural shape. And, in general, avoid removing more than 30% of the top growth at any time. Exceptions are cleaning up or cutting back perennials and groundcover such as liriope.

Now that we have introduced you to the reasons to prune, we suggest reading our next pruning post; When and What to Prune in Arkansas.  This is key because some plants bloom only on current years’ growth (also called new wood), while others bloom on last years’ growth (old wood). This means that if you trim certain plants at the wrong time of year, you may be drastically reducing your blooms…eek!

The post Reasons to Prune appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

Ah, the hydrangea!  While most shade gardens can boast of at least one plant, if not more; confusion still reigns.  Questions about color, changing of bloom color, soil acidity, sun requirements and when to prune are very common and answers can be a little murky because of the sheer quantity of hydrangeas on the market and the differences between them.  Hydrangeas are starting to bloom so we thought it was a great time to have a little chat about them!  Current Inventory

Let’s start with the most basic of basics, the different ‘kinds’ of hydrangeas.  Botanical names all start with the genus name, then the the species name, then if available, a variety or cultivated variety (a.k.a. cultivar) name.  All hydrangeas have the same genus name of ‘Hydrangea’, and there are four main species of shrub hydrangea that have been popularized and developed for our landscapes:

Hydrangea macrophylla

These are the traditional mophead and lacecap varieties and are also known as big-leaf hydrangeas .  Mopheads have globe shaped clusters of blooms consisting of large male flowers and lacecaps have flattened bloom heads with small female flowers surrounded by larger male flowers.  The macrophylla species blooms on old wood (last years’ growth).  The only pruning necessary is removing dead stems after the hydrangea pushes out new growth in the spring. Wait as long as you can since new growth at branch ends can be the last to emerge.  Additional pruning can be done before August if re-shaping or size control is needed.  Pruning in August or later could result in the removal of the following years’ blooms.  Deadheading, or removing spent blooms, can be done at any time of the year; just cut right below the spent bloom.

Re-blooming hydrangeas, such as the very popular ‘Endless Summer’ series do not require pruning either.  They bloom on both current seasons’ growth and past seasons’ growth, which means any pruning at all could reduce blooming during both the current season and for next years’ bloom season.  For these, it’s best to just deadhead. If you need to prune for shaping reasons, prune as described in the previous email.

If cutting blooms for cut flowers, you can cut a long stem in June or July but cutting a long stem in August or after could result in reduced blooming the next summer.  These pruning tips apply to quercifolia (Oakleaf varieties) also.  Most macrophyllas have either pink or blue blooms although there are a few white ones.

Changing Bloom Color

Big- leaf hydrangeas are unique in that the bloom color can be changed by altering the acidity of the soil.  Blue Hydrangeas like a pH range of 4.0 to 5.0 while pink blooming hydrangeas need a 6.0 to 7.0 range to stay pink.  White blooms will stay white; no amount of working with the soil composition will change that, however, the blooms of some cultivars turn pink as they age.  Pink blooms can be changed to blue by adding aluminum to the soil and lowering pH, most commonly by adding Aluminum Sulfate (don’t over do it; plants can be killed by applying too much aluminum sulfate) or organic matter.

Since soils already have an undetermined amount of aluminum in them, bloom color can change after planting or transplanting.  Changing blue hydrangeas to pink is a little more difficult because the hydrangea has to stop absorbing aluminum.  Hydrangeas take up aluminum better as low pH levels so adding lime to raise the the soil pH can help some.  Adjusting the pH of soils in containers is easier so if you can’t make something work in the ground, consider planting it in a large container.  Remember that water has a pH too and can affect bloom color, as can foundations and walkways.

Common cultivars include: ‘Endless Summer’ series (re-bloomers), ‘Big Daddy’, ‘Blushing Bride’,  ‘Glowing Embers’, ‘Nikko Blue’, ‘Nantucket Blue’, ‘Let’s Dance’ series, ‘Lemon Daddy’

‘Endless Summer’ hydrangeas are one of the most popular shade loving plants on the market, so lets spend a little more time one this one.  ‘Endless Summer’ hydrangeas differ from many macrophylla hydrangeas in that they bloom on both new and old wood; that is, branches that grew last year as well as the new branches from the present year.  Bud and blooms will continue to set throughout the season and deadheading spent blooms will encourage more flowering.

Hydrangea arborescens

These are known as the smooth-leaf hydrangea and have big round bloom heads.  The most common arborescens cultivar is ‘Annabelle’ but more are arriving on the scene all the time.  This type of hydrangea blooms on new wood so it can be pruned during the winter with no reduction of blooms for the following season; however, do not prune in the late spring or early summer as they are preparing to bloom.  Most of these have cream colored blooms but there is a new pink cultivar called ‘Invincibelle Spirit’.

Common cultivars include: ‘Annabelle’, ‘Incrediball’, Invincibelle Spirit (pink variety)

Hydrangea quercifolia

These have very different leaves than all the other hydrangeas; they are shaped like oak leafs…hence the name.  Oakleaf varieties can withstand drier soil than other cultivars but it cannot stand wet feet and will develop root rot fast in poorly drained soils.  The long, cream colored, cone-shaped blooms can be single or double depending on cultivar and turn a pink color as they age.  They also provide fall interest in the garden with leaves that turn red, yellow, orange and purple, and winter interest by displaying exfoliating bark.  Pruning of the Oakleaf hydrangeas is the same as for the macrophylla and is mentioned above.  These can take a little more sun than the macrophylla and arborescens species.

Common cultivars include: ‘Snowflake’ (double), ‘Snow Queen’, ‘Alice’, ‘Sikes Dwarf’, ‘PeeWee’, ‘Ruby Slippers’

Hydrangea paniculata

Paniculatas blooms are in a panical shape. The growth habit of paniculatas is also much more upright than some other species.  Paniculatas are the only hydrangeas that can be pruned into a tree.  Cream colored blooms fade into a pink color later in the season.  These can be pruned the same as arborescens since they bloom on new wood.  Remember not to prune in the summer as they are preparing to bloom.

Paniculatas can take more sun and in cooler climates are even considered a full sun plant.  In our area, they can be in full sun if they are in rich, well-drained soil and get enough moisture.  However, they may experience some leaf burn.  Ideally, they would have all morning sun and some afternoon shade.

Here is a link to a more detailed blog post on growing paniculata species hydrangeas in Arkansas.

Common cultivars include: ‘Limelight’, ‘Little Lime’, ‘PeeGee’, ‘Vanilla Strawberry’, ‘QuickFire’, ‘BoBo’, ‘Pinky Winky’

Hydrangea anomala petiolaris

Last but not least, there are Climbing Hydrangeas.  This vining plant has aerial roots that can attach to materials on its own so no trellis is necessary.  The blooms are a cream color and are lacecap in form.

Fertilizing and Mulching Your Hydrangeas

Encourage flowering by fertilizing with a low nitrogen, high phosphorus fertilizer (number above 30).  Stop all fertilizer applications by August 15th; this will help acclimate the plant for winter.

Adding a four inch layer of organic mulch around the base of the plant will help protect it from winter damage.  This isn’t as necessary here in Central Arkansas as in more northern climates.  If you choose to mulch the plant, do so around November 30, and then remove in late winter.  Once growth emerges in the spring, prune back old branches, about an inch above where new growth is present.

Where to Plant

Here in Arkansas, all hydrangeas are going to do best with some afternoon shade, although as mentioned above, the paniculatas and quercifolias can take more sun.  With the exception of quercifolia, all of the hydrangeas prefer to have rich, well drained, moist soil and part-sun.  As mentioned above, the quercifolias do not like “wet feet” and do fine in drier soil.

What is part-sun anyway?  Hydrangeas and other plants that like part-sun do best planted in areas that get morning sun and afternoon shade or dappled sun all day long.

So which one is right for your landscape?  When picking out plants, take into account the mature size of the plant, bloom color, leaf texture, and sun and soil requirements.  Choose the plant that works best for the site and enjoy a healthy plant.  It’s much easier than choosing the plant that you like the best and watching it struggle in the chosen site.  Current Inventory

The post All About Hydrangeas! appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

Even if you love your neighbors, you can still want a barrier dividing your property from theirs. Looking for a beautiful, natural way to provide some privacy? Here are Gregg’s suggestions for you.

Gregg recommends the arborvitae to use as a natural fence. They can be purchased when they’ve already grown 10 ft. tall, so the privacy they provide is significant. And if that doesn’t convince you, Gregg says taking care of these shrubs is incredibly easy.

Another option is to plant younger shrubs. This allows you to spend less and invest your time nurturing the plants yourself. The Elaeagnus hedge is one we recommend often. We use it for residential and commercial landscaping, and it has a great track record of being healthy and resistant to diseases. It has great growth potential, and just needs consistent pruning to promote a full shape! Fragrant blooms.

Sweet olives also work well as a screen. This plant blooms for about six weeks in the spring and is beautifully fragrant! It’ll need to be pruned to maintain its density and shape, but overall, caring for the sweet olive should be no trouble.

Ready to add the finishing touch to your yard? Take note of how much sun your area gets and how large the plants can grow then reach out to us. Budget is also a consideration; larger, more mature plants are more of an investment but you will get to enjoy privacy much sooner than if you go with a smaller plant.

Feel free to call us at (501) 868-4666 or stop by and see us at 15601 Cantrell Rd, Little Rock, AR 72223! We’re here and happy to help!

The post Using Natural Shrubbery Around Your Property appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

We have some other Arkansas fruit growing posts too; check out the following:

How to Grow Blackberries in Arkansas

Fruit Trees in Arkansas

Planting blueberry shrubs

Start by picking a sunny location; it can be in a garden, a raised bed or somewhere in your landscape.  These fruits will do best planted in a mounded area at least a couple of inches (or up to a foot) high, and a couple of feet wide.  Next, consider the soil.  Blueberries prefer well drained, acidic soils with a pH in the 4.8 to 5.4 range.  Arkansas soils tend to be acidic although it’s a good idea to get your soil tested.  We can help with that; ask us about our Good Earth SoilKits!

Prepare the soil by adding some peat moss and Good Earth potting soil.  The finished soil should be about 65% original soil to 35% amendments.  If you need to acidify your soils, consider adding coffee grounds as this will both add organic matter and increase the acidity.

Blueberry varieties

Choose your variety of blueberry; both the southern highbush and rabbiteye types are good in Southern Arkansas, and Northern highbush varieties are good in Northern Arkansas.  All three types can be grown successfully in Central Arkansas.  Here are several varieties within each type:

Northern Highbush- Bluecrop, Duke, Elliot

Southern Highbush- Ozarkblue, Summit, Legacy

Rabbiteye- Climax, Premier, Tifblue

We typically carry Rabbiteye blueberries here at Good Earth.  Plant multiple varieties of the same type to increase fruit set and berry size. Figure on planting about 2 plants for each person in your family and double that if you plan on growing them for baking or freezing.

Growing tips

After planting, add five to six inches of pine bark or pine needle mulch.  This will help the soil retain moisture and reduce the weed growth (sawdust would also work well).  Add an inch of mulch material each year.  Blueberries need irrigation here in Arkansas in order to be successful so water well at planting and water throughout the year as needed.  Prune off the large flower buds at the tips of the shoots the first and second seasons, especially on smaller plants.  This will allow a larger, better producing plant to develop.

After the second growing season, remove some of the canes and reduce excess flower buds.  In addition, cut back any canes that are much taller than the overall height of the blueberry.  Too many blooms can result in a weaker plant and small fruit so remove weak or twiggy growth.  After the fifth year, begin removing some of the old canes.  Ideally older blueberry plants will have equal parts of one-, two-, three-, four-, and five-year old canes.

Feeding blueberries

Blueberries can be planted both in the Spring and Fall.  Fertilize the plants only after new growth has began with our organic Espoma Holly-Tone Fertilizer and then after 6 weeks, start applying Ammonium Sulfate unless otherwise directed by your soil sample results. Avoid applying fertilizer to the crown or stems of the blueberry.

Now, all you have to do is collect blueberry recipes!

The post How to Grow Blueberries in Arkansas! appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

Crapemyrtle Bark Scale

This week we’re revisiting the issue of crapemyrtle bark scale. Unfortunately, this year crapemyrtle bark scale has the potential to be very prevalent in Arkansas. Due to inconsistent weather patterns in the fall of 2019, many plants didn’t have the chance to properly ‘harden off.’ Combine this with a general lack of preparation and treatment, and there’s a high risk of bark scale spreading this spring.

Think your crapemyrtles might be infested? Click to visit our in-depth CMBS post to find out how to properly identify and treat this pest.

Avoiding Crape Murder

In Arkansas, February is the ideal time to start pruning your crapemyrtles. Keep in mind, pruning your crapemyrtle should only be done if your goal is to help shape the plant. To avoid crapemurder, it’s crucial to remember you’re not to try and greatly affect the height. If you’re worried about the size of the crapemyrtle not fitting the space, it’s best to consider transplanting the plant. Over-pruning will lead to knobby branches that the plant will never grow out of.

Wanting to shape your crapemyrtle? Using a pair of pruners, selectively prune the branches to achieve a smooth, even shape.

For more information on pruning your crapemyrtle effectively, read this post that covers all the details or visit our YouTube channel.

Gardenia Winter Burn

Your gardenia may have sustained some winter burn in the past few months. By this time of year, it should become clear what on your Gardenia will bloom what will need to be pruned.

Using your pruners, simply snip dead stems along the edges. Use care so as to not snip any emerging blooms. The only slight risk that comes with pruning your gardenia is the damage it could experience if another cold snap blows through before spring.

Easily Prune Japanese Maples

Japanese Maples can be tidied up using just your hands. Selectively snap twigs that look to be dead, and easily prepare this plant for the coming spring.

The post Winter Pruning appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

Why prune?

Spring pruning is done for several purposes, such as to shape, encourage new growth, and clean up. Not all plants require pruning so ask questions and have a game plan before getting the tools out. Keep the goal in mind when pruning; it’s easy to get carried away! A good rule of thumb is to remove no more than 30% of the plant when pruning…more than that can stress the plant, causing a decline in health and an increase in pests.

When to prune in Arkansas?

Knowing what to prune and when is crucial. Prune ornamental grasses, crepe myrtles, most roses, fruit trees and evergreen perennials in February. Evergreen shrubs and groundcovers can be pruned in March. Wait to prune spring flowering shrubs such as azaleas and forsythia until after they bloom…otherwise the blooms will be removed. Visit our gardening calendar for more complete schedule!

Don’t be guilty of Crape Murder!

As mentioned above, it can be easy to remove too large a portion of the plant. Crapemyrtles are often pruned too much and poorly…this practice is called ‘crape murder’. These trees don’t require any pruning but are often cut back severely, causing large unattractive ‘knees’ or knots to form. Learn how to properly prune crape myrtles by on this post and You Tube channel. Also, check out How to Control Crapemyrtle Bark Scale, a very destructive pest.

How to Prune?

Hand pruners, shearers, loppers, chain saws…just what is needed for proper pruning? Felco hand pruners will work on most shrubs, grasses and perennials. Use loppers on larger limbs and branches. Before pruning, check tool blades and sharpen as needed.  And for more in-depth information, come see us!

The post Spring Pruning Tips for Arkansas! appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

Deadheading Annuals

Deadheading, or removing spent blooms, increases the production of new blooms.  By this time of year (mid-August), warm season annuals can look a little leggy and worn out.  Deadheading gives them a fresh look.  This is also true about re-blooming perennials and shrubs such as Knock Out Roses.  Trim spent bloom off just above a node.  A node is where leaves meet stems.  Cutting above a node will allow the plant to fill out natural.  If just the spent bloom is cut off, leaving a visible empty stem, the plant can still look messy and won’t fill in well.

Sterilize your cutting tools by dipping them in a 50% water, 50% bleach solution.  We suggest watering your plants thoroughly before deadheading; remember that the plant will lose moisture from each cut.  If the plant is already water stressed, trimming can worsen plant stress.

Fertilizing Your Annuals

Another way to extend the bloom season of annuals is to fertilize them.  Our favorite product is BR 61; it provides a ton of flower power!  Each fertilizer has a set of three numbers listed.  This is the percent by weight of three main nutrients, Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K).  Each of these nutrients does something a little different for a plant; the middle number, indicating percent of Phosphorus, promotes the development of blooms.  Therefore, bloom boosting fertilizers generally have a higher middle number than they do Nitrogen, which promotes leaf and stem growth, or Potassium, which increases drought and disease tolerance among other things.

BR 61 has a formulation of 9-58-8; that is a lot of flower power in one products!  It’s water soluble, just mix the powder with water and apply.  As with all fast-acting water soluble fertilizers, apply when the plants are not in full, hot sun and when they are not water stressed.  Doing either of these things could cause the foliage to burn.

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Many perennials can be divided, giving you more plants for a small investment of labor!  Dividing perennials encourages new growth, more vigor and usually leads to better flowering.  The key is to do it at the right time and properly.  In this Good Earth Greenhouse segment, Gregg Curtis is talking about dividing daylilies.

Many people wait until fall to divide their perennials; but if you have a large number of perennials, you can do some earlier such as daylilies.  Daylilies are one of the toughest perennials!  Daylilies can also be divided in the spring, when they are just beginning to push new leaves up.  Avoid dividing before they are finished blooming for the season, as dividing could end your bloom season.

Make sure the plants are hydrated before digging up; either divide after a rain or water well the day before you plan to divide them.  Dig them up carefully, getting as much of the root system as you can.  Having a healthy, intact root system is one of the keys for success.

Once you have the clump dug up, look at the top growth of the clump.  If the plants have already gone dormant, you will be able to more clearly see individual fans of foliage. If this is the case, you can loosen the roots and pry individual fans away from the clump; each fan needs to have a healthy root system attached to be successful.

If you are dividing during the growing season, cut the clump in half and check the root system and top growth.  Depending on the size of the clump, you may be able to divide it in half again.  Again, having top growth and roots is key; the larger the remaining clump, the faster it will fill out and establish. If you make the clump too small, it may take a long time to regenerate or if there are not enough roots, it may rot out before establishing.

This is the perfect time to amend your soil with organic compost, or blended soil.  We suggest using Good Earth brand Jump Start at planting; this will help your new plant take up much more nutrients and water than it could otherwise.  This results in faster and better root establishment.

Replant your divided clumps.  Keep in mind that the further apart you plant them, the longer they will take to fill in.  If you know which variety you are working with, consider the mature width of the plant and space appropriately to get the most out of your divisions.

For more information on dividing, please visit this blog post.

The post The Proper Way of Dividing Perennials appeared first on The Good Earth Garden Center.

To Begin, Document problem areas

We have been getting many reports about small twigs on lawns; these can be caused by wind, or squirrels but they may also be victims of twig girdlers.  These insects feed on the tender bark near branch ends and mate before laying eggs and girdling twigs (see image above for a visual of twig girdler symptoms).  Twigs are girdled because the larvae cannot overwinter in living twigs so the branches are girdled and either remain on the tree or fall off.  Cleaning up and destroying those that fall is a good control method; it removes the larvae that would become adults and repeat the process next year.  Another great reason to do a fall clean up of landscape areas.  Removing dead landscape material reduces insect eggs and fungus spores that could emerge next year.

Now is the time to take some notes on problem areas.  If those azaleas always have lacebugs, note it.  If the gardenias were covered in whiteflies all season, put it on paper.  With gardening and landscaping, half the battle is planning and prevention, so taking stock this time of year will give you a some helpful reminders of what you need to do next spring, when the bright, exciting newness of annuals blocking out the realities of late summer!

This is also a good time to take notes on possible transplanting.  Stand back and take a good look at what you have going on and what worked and didn’t work in it’s current location so that once it goes dormant and loses it’s leaves, you will remember the transplanting plan.  On perennials, mark them so that when they go dormant, you know right where to dig.

The lawn is going dormant but there are still important lawn chores!  Kill existing weeds by applying a post emerge such as Weed Out, apply pre-emerge to prevent new weeds from emerging, apply winterizer, and treat for grubs one last time, if you haven’t done so this fall.  Last but not least, we are seeing brown patch show up in lawns right now (mid-October).  With soil temperatures still warm, it would be good to treat with a systemic fungicide this fall and follow up next spring with another  These chores will insure that your lawn is healthier next year!

Pruning tips

If those perennials are looking more like weeds than garden plants, consider trimming them back.  For example, when the hosta leaves are turn yellow…you might as well trim off those leaves!  Other perennials with foliage going dormant can be trimmed off too.

Don’t get too carried away on the pruning; be careful not to prune shrubs that bloom off old growth.  This includes Encore azaleas, which should be pruned after the spring blooming, and most hydrangeas, which should be pruned after the blooming ends in the summer.

It’s time to shop!

Fall is the BEST time of year for planting trees and shrubs.  Use Good Earth brand Jump Start at planting…this product will help your plants absorb up to 1,000 times more nutrients and water.  Mulching will help the soil retail moisture and it will also reduce weeds!

Annual color should be fertilized, mulched and watered in well.  Encourage blooming by fertilizing with Ferti-Lome Premium Bedding Plant Food, which has a high phosphate number reflected by the middle number on the package.  Supplement with water soluable, high phosphate fertilizer, such as BR-61, during the fall, winter and early spring.  Plants are growing when temperatures are above 45 degrees for a few days.  Removing spent blooms throughout the season will promote blooms.  Treat the planted areas with a pre-emerge every 60 to 90 days for weed control of winter weeds.  Applying at least 3 inches of mulch will also discourage weed growth.

These are a few things to consider this time of year, but there are many more, so stop by Good Earth Garden Center for more information and great gardening tips from the experts!

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