Ask the Expert with Linda Chalker - Scott , university extension urban horticulturist at Washington State University ’s Puyallup Research and Extension Center , and author ofThe Informed Gardener
— Jerry Marsket , Louisville , KY
Trees and bush are used to being prune – that ’s what herbivores do ! Butwhenthey are prune will affect their growth , and gardeners can use this information to their benefit . If you prune trees and shrubs while they are actively growing , it stimulates more industrial plant development . That ’s because the works are bring on lots of sugars to plunk for growth and the act or pruning transfer growth inhibitor . Overpruning , however , can have the opposite issue by murder too many of the leaves and leave behind the plant without sufficient resourcefulness for regrowth . Think of this as a trim rather than a buzzcut .
If you prune later in the year , after the plant have end actively rise or are dormant , it tends to stunt maturation . Pruning during this fourth dimension both thin out size and removes stored sugars . This is a handy mode to keep Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and bush smaller , though pruning does need to be repeated annually .
And never prune after transplanting ! This redirects resources from the roots ( where they are ask for young ascendent growth ) into Modern leafage ( which necessitate lots of water ) . You ’re lead with a plant that requires more water uptake but without an actively growing theme organization to furnish that piddle .
– Amanda Schall , Burlington , Vermont
works do need daystar – a lot of it – but our garden and landscape painting soils usually have more than enough . The NPK recommendation we ’re all used to seeing is derived from intensive agricultural product practices and is n’t relevant to a home garden . There are at least three bad thing that overutilization of P will do :
Before you tot any source of phosphorus , constitutive or otherwise , you should institutionalize a land sampling to a stain testing lab ( I advocate university labs as secure objective resources ) . The only time you should add more phosphorus is if your morning star level are substandard .
– Jenn Kortera , West Chester , Pennsylvania
By and declamatory , the best mulches are those that are coarse and deep . This insulates the soil against freeze and allows solution growth to extend throughout the winter . Roots never go dormant , so as long as the soil does n’t freeze they proceed to grow , though at a slow rate .
Ideally , you would use an organic mulch . estimable choices include wood flake , wheat , and hazelnut shells . All of these allow for good drainage and air movement . A little bit of compost or shredded leaves are okay , too , but they should be cover with the coarser mulch . Otherwise they tend to contract with pelting and make drainage and aeration problem .
If you do n’t have access code to the coarse woody mulch , consider using something else “ flossy . ” Shredded newspaper , coir fibers , or burlap over a slight layer of compost will insulate the soil without creating drainage problems .
In the spring , you may leave most mulch in stead . Just move them away when you plant , and then recover when you ’re finished . They ’ll continue to do their caper and now will prevent weed seed germination as well . Mulch materials around marginally hardy plants can be partially removed in the spring to reserve fresh growth to begin , but enough should stay on to cover the radical crown until the peril of late frosts is retiring .
– James McDunn , Vancouver , British Columbia
The light breathe from Christmas illumination is n’t enough to step in with a plant ’s ability to tell time . It ’s the in high spirits intensiveness street Christ Within that can check quiescency : plants perceive this nighttime brightness as “ dateless summertime ” and do n’t do the things they require to do before kill frosts arrive .
– Robin Gibberting , Encinitas , California
Few wood chip mulch have document abilities to harm plant . Eucalyptus mulch has specifically been found to benefit young trees in several studies .
– Vicky Townshend , Goshen , Connecticut
Mulches ca n’t really alter soil pH. The sheer volume of soil far exceeds that of the mulch layer . The only time you might see a change in acidulousness would be if the mulch were used in containers , where the soil volume is much modest .
– Beth Garcia , Rushville , Ohio
Leaf colouration intensity in the fall is primarily controlled by coolheaded night temperature and sunny days . This is difficult to deepen . Restricting water might intensify leaf people of colour , but this is not beneficial to the tree as they prepare for dormancy . Your best stake is to take cultivars that are known to be colourful in the dusk .
Photo/Illustration: Jennifer Benner
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