Pruning is one gardening job that is often neglected because gardeners are not exactly sure what to do. There is a great deal of confusion about how to prune, when to prune, and even why pruning is done. As a result, pruning is often delayed until radical and extensive pruning is required. Now is an excellent time to evaluate your landscape for pruning that needs to be done, since many plants can be pruned now through February. Hand pruners are your best tool. The bypass cut or the scissor type pruners are the most useful. Anvil-type pruners don’t quite make as clean a cut and have the tendency to crush rather than cut cleanly. Use lopping shears to prune small trees or shrubs with diameters up to one inch. For plants with branches more than an inch thick, use a pruning saw. Applying wound sealants or pruning paints to pruning cuts are no longer recommended. In fact, it is felt that these materials may even interfere with the natural process of wounds’ natural callusing. That is why it is very important to make proper pruning cuts so that they will heal properly. Dr. Alex Shigo, a plant pathologist with the USDA, did research years ago that changed our thought process on pruning techniques and also changed the recommendation of how tree wound dressings, pruning paints, or sealants affected wounds. If you are interested in reading more about Dr. Shigo’s work, do a Google search; along with great information for thought, there are illustrations on how to make proper pruning cuts.
A wide variety of plants can be pruned during the winter and early spring, including most woody plants such as trees, shrubs, hedges, screens and foundation plantings that are not grown for their flowers. Both evergreen and deciduous plants can be pruned.
Avoid extensive pruning of spring flowering trees and shrubs (those that bloom from January through April), such as Japanese magnolia, star magnolia, silver bell, parsley hawthorn, Taiwan flowering cherry, quince, azalea, Indian hawthorn, mock orange, spirea, banana shrub, wisteria and camellia. These plants have already set their flower buds for spring bloom, so any pruning done now will reduce the quantity of blooms.
On the other hand, summer flowering trees and shrubs such as crape myrtle, vitex, althea, oleander and abelia, don’t have flower buds set on them now. These can be pruned during winter and early spring because their flower buds will bloom on new growth produced in spring and summer.
Certain shrubs, such as gardenia, hydrangea, some old garden roses, and climbing roses, seem to fall in a separate category because they bloom in early summer, so extensive pruning from now until they bloom will greatly reduce or eliminate flowering. Delay any necessary pruning for gardenia, hydrangea, some old garden roses, and climbing roses unit immediately after they bloom. One example of a poor pruning technique that we see too often on crape myrtles is commonly referred to as “crape murder,” where the tops of crape myrtles are sheared off similar to what is referred to as dehorning. This improper technique produces an abundance of new growth which produces week stems that break and bend when loaded with blooms. Another example of improper pruning is when azaleas are pruned in the late summer or fall which amounts to removing buds that should have been the next crop of blooms.
Normally, Irish potatoes are planted in the garden from now until mid-February. Cut seed potatoes (usually available at nurseries or feed stores) into pieces about the size of an egg. Make sure each piece includes at least one eye. Allow the cut seed pieces to heal a few days, and then plant them in well – prepared rows or beds about 12 inches apart and four inches deep. Irish potatoes usually reach maturity and are ready to harvest in May. Recommended red potato varieties include Red LaSoda, LaRouge, and Fontenot. White varieties recommended are Norchip, Kennebec, and LaBelle. Usually, the Red LaSoda and Kennebec varieties are readily available this time of year.
Pansies and other cool season bedding plants may bloom lsparcely during mid-winter, but blooming should increase again in late winter and early spring. If the foliage is a good green and plant seem to be growing well, you shouldn’t need to fertilize now. Pansies are heavy feeders , if the foliage is even slightly pale and if the growth is less vigorous, fertilize with a 20- 20-20 soluble fertilizer, according to label directions, every two to three weeks until the color and vigor improves.
Seeds of tomatoes, peppers and eggplants should be started now through early February in trays in sunny windows, hotbeds, and under lights or in a greenhouse for transplanting into the garden in spring. Many gardeners don’t have the facilities to properly grow transplants from seed. Providing enough light is generally the biggest factor.
Whenever practical, continue to deadhead cool-season annuals such as pansies, snapdragons, and dianthus to keep them blooming through spring.
Vegetables to plant in January include beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, collards, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, onions, radish, shallots, spinach, Swiss chard, and turnips.
Gerald P. Roberts Horticulturist/Master Gardener Program Coordinator LSU AgCenter