Warming to winter pruning

AMENIA — Tips on prudent pruning and how to do it properly during the cold months were the order of the day at the Town Hall on Saturday, Feb. 8, as local expert gardener Maryanne Snow-Pitts, a Wassaic resident for 23 years, shared her extensive know-how.

The pruning workshop was sponsored by the Amenia Garden Club and attracted about 30 residents of mixed experience who sought to know more about proper techniques for winter pruning of trees and bushes. The Town Hall’s grounds provided prime examples of bushes and trees needing some expert attention.

During an information session before the start of the snipping, clipping and sawing, Snow-Pitts shared advice on how to approach the work and bring about a good outcome.

“It’s best to avoid hacking at plants badly,” Snow-Pitts advised. “When your pruner is sharp — and clean — it’s the best time to prune,” she added.

Observing the optimal shape of the tree or bush and how the plant is growing, whether reaching horizontally toward sun, for example, are important considerations, Snow-Pitts said. She focused also on how to prune prior mistakes, such as steady pruning of the branch tips, a debilitating action that will eventually deprive the core of the plant of sunlight.

“Don’t prune more than one-third of live wood at a time,” she cautioned, favoring diversity in cuts that will create branches of varying lengths. She advised identifying and removing dead wood first and taking out the larger old canes to promote new, healthier growth.