14 minute read
To Prune or Not to Prune
TO PRUNE OR NOT
TO PRUNE
THAT IS THE QUESTION.
BY CRYSTAL MURRAY PHOTOS BY STEVE SMITH, VISIONFIRE STUDIOS
It seems like yesterday that the first hints of yellow from the forsythia bushes started to cheer up the garden and the hostas unfurled themselves after they made their welcomed return after a long winter sleep. But here we are saying good-bye to one of the strangest summers in recent history and questioning what the fall will bring. Well, with all of the uncertainty of those opened ended questions At Home wants to share with you some definitive answers about pruning and putting your garden to rest. It worked hard this year!
To find the answers At Home reached out to ISA Certified Arbourist Jeremy LeClair.
AH: Okay Jeremy, the question that everyone wants answered. When should we prune. Spring or fall? JEREMY: First of all I want to say, my views are coming from an Arbourist point of view. Some gardeners may see things differently, but I stand firm on what I say. What season depends on the objective of the pruning but this one goes to spring. Most routine pruning like removing dead or damaged branches can be done any time of year. Most recent studies have shown that trees actually rebound best from pruning during their most active growing periods, which would be spring. On the other hand, some fruit trees that are prone to fungal issues are best to hold off until the major wet period of spring is over.
AH: What trees and shrubs should be pruned in fall? JEREMY: Mostly shade and street trees can be pruned at any time of year but when it comes to fall pruning it’s not so much about the species of plant to prune but more so the condition of it. With snow on its way, you may want to gear some pruning towards damage prevention. Wet snow and ice can break many branches so by tipping a few back to reduce larger sections from breaking may be a good approach. Russian sage, a small woody plant is one that we always tip back during our fall cleanups. They grow quite lanky and are very fragile so by cutting it back by half you can reduce the chances of larger sections breaking off. We do the same with butterfly bushes. Sometimes you may need to sacrifice some spring flowering by doing some fall pruning if there are some shrubs that are extremely out of control.
AH: Pruning forces new growth. When does it become too late to prune so plants can harden off in the winter? JEREMY: Some types of pruning can promote a flush of growth. If your looking to tidy up some of your hedges and shrubs, then I would say you should be fine to clip off the stragglers right up to early October. If you’re practicing proper pruning on trees then you likely won’t be promoting a whole lot of new growth. Heading cuts, which is not recommended for trees are the types of cut that promote excessive growth. Choose your pruning methods wisely. K n o w t h a t Y o u ' r e C o v e r e d
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AH: Let’s talk perennials. What should be cut back in the fall or just leave to die off in the winter?
JEREMY: If you have time to cut back some plants then go for it. Hostas, lilies and peonies are all worth cleaning up but some folks will leave sedums, astilbe and hydrangea macrophylla up for winter interest. There are a few opinions on cutting ornamental grasses. We like to leave them up as some have nice structure and are a great winter garden display although they can be very messy depending on the location exposure. If you have heavy-seeding perennials, you’ll need to decide whether or not you want them to spread. If your Brown-eyed Susans have started taking over the landscape, then make sure to dead head them in the fall to reduce the spreading. Now if you’re looking for that to happen, leave them or collect them and spread the seeds where you would like to see them take off.
AH: Tips for pruning popular shrubs? JEREMY: Some may have different opinions, but my biggest recommendation would be to put down the shears and pick up a pair of hand pruners. There’s nothing wrong with shearing many shrubs but doing it over and over without any thinning will shade out all interior leaves and make the shrub harder to keep at the desired height. Boxwoods are definitely a plant that can handle a decent amount of shearing but I always hand prune out entire twigs evenly throughout the shrub. Allowing light to enter will keep some of the interior leaves allowing for more versatility in what you want the shrub to look like. Some shrubs require very little pruning. Rhododendron for example. Other than pruning out dead or broken branches you can pretty much leave it be, that’s if you have given it enough room to grow. If keeping it confined is required, always prune a branch back to a lateral to avoid unsightly stubs. Spireas come in many varieties. They can definitely be sheared for a compact manicured look but I prefer them loose and airy so going in to prune out older wood is my approach. The older stems usually are greyer in colour but have an obvious new shoot coming off of it. Beyond that new shoot is usually a section with spent flowers and dead; cut the branch off directly above the new shoot. This will really thin it out once you have gone through it but after a little tipping back, it will look just fine, especially for several years to come. AH: What is the biggest mistake people make pruning in the fall? JEREMY: Cutting back the flower buds resulting in a drastic decrease in spring flowering.
AH: Besides pruning, what fall work should be done in the garden before the snow flies?
JEREMY: I would say raking your leaves is definitely important. Other than keeping
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your garden tidy, it reduces the chance for leaves with disease or pest issues to re-appear next year. I use the word reduce because the odds that your neighbours didn’t take the same measures is possible and their leaves could easily contaminate your plants. Maple tar spot on Norway maples is an example. Wrapping or caging your trees and shrubs are both common practice. Not only will it help to prevent damage such as sunscald, desiccation (drying out) and falling snow from roofs breaking branches but it will help reduce the amount of grazing from deer. We have noticed in the fall that the bucks tend to choose landscape plants to rub their antlers on rather then the thousands of trees in the surrounding woods. If you have fragile plants in your garden that you would hate to step on once the snow blankets the ground, be sure to highlight it. Maybe it’s adding a tomato cage on it or placing a marker beside it. AH: Is it ok to use branches and clippings from trees and shrubs for holiday décor? JEREMY: Well that all depends on how much you harvest. Shrubs such as red osier dogwoods can handle a fair amount of cutting and actually will benefit from rejuvenation pruning in the spring to promote a new growth of vibrant red twigs. So clipping off a bunch before holidays should not harm it at all. Evergreens are a little different. Cutting off a bunch of pine bows on a small scale tree will only reduce its needle coverage and limit the amount of photosynthesizing it needs to operate. If you’re looking for pine, hemlock or fir bows, I would recommend supporting your local Christmas tree supplier or asking a friend with a woodlot if you can cut a bit. Most berries are ok to harvest but if it’s coming from your garden, remember to save some beauty for your winter landscape.
AH: Is planting in the fall ok? JEREMY: It sure is. Spring would be my first choice as that gives the entire season to establish roots but there is nothing wrong with fall planting. Now fall is from September 22 nd to December 21 st this year sow when referring to fall I’m usually speaking about September and October. We have successfully planted later than that but why take a chance? If you are planning on putting a tree or shrub in the ground this fall just avoid wet areas. You will likely see that the frost may heave your plant partially out of the ground.
ONE LAST TIP: Pruning trees is completely different than pruning shrubs. Shrubs can usually handle aggressive pruning year after year, however, with trees you need to be mindful of how much you take off. Each cut on a tree can have detrimental effects to its life and growth. Be purposeful when pruning trees or ask a professional for advice.
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MRS. UGALINIMARTELLI’S
SECRET Sauce
BY TRACY STUART
MEDALING WITH MY FOOD
Tracy is an Olympic medalist and has a Chef’s Diploma from the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts.
Every summer during my time on the Olympic team I had the good fortune of spending a month in Italy, a place where we’d call home during our World Cup season. It wasn’t hard to fall in love with the food, although being a lightweight and having to make weight was torturous at times. Watching the heavyweights enjoying homemade pasta and tomato sauce left my mouth watering as I sat among them eating my clean house salad with a bit of protein. I vowed that when my lightweight days were over I’d return to Italy and experience everything that the Nona’s and chef’s had to offer.
Little did I know that during this same time frame, my now husband was enjoying his final semester of university in Florence where he honed his Italian language skills and learned to make the most incredible pasta sauce I have ever tasted.
It wasn’t until two summers ago, when we were harvesting tomatoes from our own garden in River John, that the secret sauce was revealed. As I was picking all the ripe tomatoes Jarret said that he’d like to make the sauce this time around. I agreed, but was secretly worried since I had not known him to have any interest or background knowledge in food preservation. I distinctly remember watching with a keen eye that afternoon
as he reduced the tomatoes and added his seasoning. He was free wheeling, no recipe, no timers, just a mother spoon and his own taste buds as his guide. The smell is the house was absolutely divine; the anticipation was killing me. Then about four hours later, he said the magic words, “it’s ready.” Even now, the mere thought of this first taste makes my mouth water. It was a flavour that awoke every taste bud, to say it was delicious is an understatement. I immediately needed to know the secret, I had to be able to recreate this recipe and share it with others. Jarret shared the story of his homestay family in Florence and how Mrs. Ugalini-Martelli would make this pasta sauce with her eyes closed. The effort was minimal, but the flavour was powerful. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet this lovely lady, but her secret sauce lives on in our kitchen. We’ve reached the time of year where many of you will be harvesting your own home-grown tomatoes. Most will be ripe enough to use up right away, while others may still be quite green but should not be discounted since they too can be turned into an incredible sauce. From my kitchen to yours here is how we’ve learned to minimize waste and enjoy all fruits of our labours in our tomato garden. After the outdoor temperature dips below 10°C the fruit will no longer ripen on the vine, which means that the green fruit will need a little extra help. Simply wrap each fruit individually in paper and place them in a cardboard box. Add a couple of apples to speed up the ripening time and store in a dry, cool area at room temperature. Every week open the box and remove any fruit that is ready to eat, or show signs of disease. Freshen the apples if necessary and repeat the process until all of your fruit has come into their own. By doing this last season we were able to preserve an extra ten jars of pasta sauce which we enjoyed into early spring. If you are up for an Italian adventure and are not afraid to free wheel without a recipe I encourage you to try your hand at Mrs. Ugalini-Martelli’s sauce. I will give you some guidelines, but your taste buds alone will be your guide.
Buon appitito!
Choose a day where you’re going to be home, since you’re going to need time. Pick bright red tomatoes that are juicy and slightly soft.
Cut them in chunks and throw them in your largest stewing pot (a thick bottom pot is ideal- I use a large Creuset saucepan). Bring the tomato liquid up to a simmer and walk away. On occasion give it a stir. Allow at least two hours to reduce the amount of liquid. Once three quarters of the water is removed, put the tomatoes through a sieve that you’ve positioned over a bowl to catch the pulp free sauce. Use a spoon to push as much sauce through as possible. If you’ve got a food mill then that’s even better; the goal is to remove the seeds and skins.
Transfer this liquid back to your original pot and continue to reduce for at least another hour. During this time the seasoning process begins. Add dried basil and dried oregano to taste. Don’t be scared you know what you like, but keep in mind that the flavour will intensify as the liquid continues to reduce. In the final mile it’s time to add the salt, this will brighten the flavour even more and give you that delicious finish.
