Evening star., 1945-02-25

EIuH1AuB Sk1OUt0 &CCO4llpu6n III
maintain the freedom and quality o
ing roses produce the best bloom
second-year wood are usually almost
as good. Beyond that age, however
the quality and size Of bloom de-
teriorates rapidly.
Secondly, pruning should keep the
bushes compact, healthy and vigor-
GUS. BY removing from I fourth te
a third Of the oldest shoots OF
branches at the ground line, new
growth is forced up from the roots
This new growth bears flowers over
most OF its length, whereas the
older branches bear flowers only
near the tips. It is the old wood
that harbors insects and Is the most
easily entered by disease. The con-
slant removal Of this old wood helps
to avoid insect and disease troubles
The third objective Of pruning
should be to keep xhrubs within
bounds. An, oversrown bush i,
hardly IN asset to the yard. Most
shrubs are planted too close to.
gether when the yard Is first land.
scaped. As they gain In size they
tend to crowd and to become tot
tall for the size Of the yard. Much
Of this can be avoided by pruning.
Pruning by shearing Oh the tor
does not remove the old unsightly
wood at the base Of the shrub. Wher
only q part Of q branch is removed
the new growth coming from the
buds adjacent to the cuts appear,
at the top Of the bush, giving it Z
topheavy appearance.
The removal Of q few canes o.
such shrubs as the spirea, weigeha
forsythia, deutzia' and mockorange
Is comparatively easy In the earl!
spring when the limbs are bare
Hence, even though this means tn.
removal Of many Towering buds, i
u the favored time for pruning b,
many home gardeners. The expertl
prefer to prune these early spring
Towering shrubs Immediately aftel
Towering. They point out that thil
throws the plants strength into th'
new growth.
While spring pruning OF thes'
early Towering shrubs does remove
many flower buds that were formed
during the late summer and early
fall, it Is much easier at that
season for the inexperienced to sc.
just what he or she Is accomplish.
ing. When 1t comes to saving of
and removing q large branch close
to the ground, one needs to see just
where to make the cut to avoid in.
turing adjoining canes.
The above applies to the com.
monty planted early spring flower.
ing shrubs with the exception oi
lilacs, whose canes should not b<
removed except when badly infested
with the cane borer. Thinning o1
the small shoots that spring ur
around the base Of old lilac plant,
Is recommended, allowing only the
few to remain which are needed te
replace infested branches.
Roses should not be pruned until
the middle of March and then only
the dead and weak wood removed
The heading back of the stronger
branches should be light or severe
depending upon what the gardener
desires from the roses. II many
flowers are wanted, the pruning
should be very light. II exhibition
blooms are desired, then the branch.
es should Be cut very severely, kAv-
ing only . half dozen or 80 buds tt
each bush. Most home gardener
will desire results somewhere BE-
tween these two extremes, 80 Their
bushes should be pruned accord
ingly. .
The pruning of privet hedges may
be done at this season. II the tor
is getting heavy and the bottom
barelegged, it Is desirable to cut
the hedge down to a third of its
former height. This method forces
the new growth to come from neal
the base and will at the same time
remove much of the small dead tor
growth that interferes with norma
trimming. BY cutting the hedge
back severely it will aid in thick
ening the lower growth. If care
fully done, 1t will broaden the bas,
50 that the desirable wedge form
may be obtained. The base shoul,
be wider than the top If growth /
to be thick and uniform.
Grapes, If not already pruned
should be given the regular trim
ming ~ soon as possible. II prun
ing Is delayed until after the sal
begins to now. they bleed profusely
Leave only two buds on each sid
branch. When an old branch get
too woody and gnarled 1t is well t.
train q new cane to replace 1t.