Evening star., 1950-12-17
When to Do the Job !
Risk of Failure Too Great to Justify
Doing Garden Work at the Wrong Time
By Wilbur H. Younsmon
Corden Editor

spring? On many kinds, such as
forsythia, azaleas, spirea, deutzia,
ETC., spring pruning removes the
flower buds which are developed
in the late summer or fall. Obvi-
oulsy no one wants to cut off
and throw away the flowers. Such
shrubs and trees should be pruned
in the early summer after the
Towering season and before new
bud formation begins.
Hedge Pruning Time.
The choice of period in which
to prune a hedge is equally i'm
portant if we would restrict the
ragged, moth-eaten appearance
characteristic of a freshly pruned
hedge, to the shortest possible
time. Normally. for evergreen
hedges. the pruning should be
made just prior to the period of
active foliage growth-early March
and mid-September. If pruned at
another season of the year. the
new growth does not hide the
pruning cuts so quickly.
DeciduouS hedges might we'll be
pruned first (and most heavily
in the early spring, Just as the
buds begin to swell. Some kinds
respond most rapidly at this sea-
son of the year. And, there are
kinds which throw out new shoots
regardless of when they are,
pruned.
Plants that are tender should
not be pruned until spring so
that any freeze injury suffered will
not reduce their size too seriously
This generally applies to roses.
abelia and other tender shrubs.
Although in some cases, the prun-
ing may throw them into a dor
NANCY (maturity) which may
make them more immune to-
winter injury.
The setting out of tender shrubs
in the fall is unlikely to cause in
Jury since the wood is mature and
harder than those already estab-
lished in the garden.
The time of feeding of plants
may have considerable bearing
upon their hardness. Boxwood
should never be fertilized at any
season other than the early spring.
(Fresh manure should be applied
in November or December. Com
mercial fertilizers should be ap-
piled in March so that the new
growth resulting from the feeding
will have ample time in which to
or mature before win
ter freezes.
On the other hand we feed
and fruit trees in the
fall when they are developing the
fruit buds for the following sea-
son. Fertilizer applied in the
spring is apt to have very little
effect upon the fruiting but will
produce more abundant foliage
which will enable the plants to
store more food for another season.
Season for Everything.
The experienced gardener has
learned that stage of growth has a
marked effect upon his success
with cuttings. Some should be
aiken in the spring, others in the
Early summer, a few in mid-sum-
ner and others in the fall.
The sowing of hardy annual
eeds focuses attention on an
'ther phase of timing. If the seeds
# some kinds are put into the
round in the early fall they will
prout and be killed by winter
reezes, but this does not include
arkspur, cornflower. nigella. etc.
It does hold true for portulaca.
poppy, sweet alyssum and the less
hardy kinds-their seed should be
put in late enough to prevent top
growth, perhaps even sprouting.
When planted at the proper season
IN the fall. they will all give much
finer results than when sown in
the spring.
The Biblical phrase, "There is a
time for sowing and a time for
reaping," means much to the ex-
oerienced gardener. He has learned
to observe the seasons and plan his
garden activities accordingly.