SPRING PRUNING
Fear of pruning is a very common ailment among plant people. It causes gardens to become overgrown and out of shape. Fear of pruning causes healthy fruit trees to produce nothing but wood and no fruit. Fear of pruning often compromises the health of landscape trees and creates hazards for people who have to coexist in the garden with their overgrown trees and shrubs.

Okay, so I exaggerate a bit. However, all of us have struggled at one time or another to maneuver around a poorly placed prickly shrub that has spread itself over a sidewalk. Many have risked life and limb to back out of a driveway onto a road obscured by untended greenery. These types of plant confrontations usually get the attention of someone with a sharp set of pruners before a major catastrophe. The more subtle needs of plants in terms of shaping, thinning and pruning for fruit and flower production sometimes get neglected simply because folks don’t know where to start.

We’ve all seen bad pruning jobs. Topped trees, severely whacked trees pruned at the wrong time of the year and hedges pruned with steel bladed weed whackers rather than hand pruners. A good way to cover your sins is to prune just before plants start growing in the spring. Right now evergreens and deciduous plants are getting ready to put on leaves and flowers. They will respond to pruning now with a lush growth of new leaves as the weather warms. Plants that are cut back in the summer or fall will look butchered until the next spring growth comes on again.

Wait a minute, what about the flowers? Annual winter pruning is great for roses, but flowering evergreens like rhododendrons will not flower if you cut them back now. It's ok to let spring and summer flowering shrubs go until they are done blooming to cut them back. Keep in mind you will have to look at a stubby plant until late winter the following year if you prune in the summer. If you have hydrangeas to shape and resize, they bloom on 2 year old wood. That means if you cut the whole plant down to the ground now, it will not bloom for you until next year. You may be able to compromise and simply thin the plant this year and still have summer flowers. You can take out 1/2 or 1/3 of the stems to thin the plants out or make it less wide. The remaining stems that are 2-year-old wood will produce flowers. An overgrown climbing rose will not respond kindly to severe pruning. They also bloom on 2-year-old wood. Most of the time, the reason you need to prune the plant outweighs the sacrifice of that year's flowers. It just takes some thought and planning.

Here are some pruning tips to consider when you head out with your trusty clippers.
* Get a good pruning guide or book if you grow a lot of fruit trees, berries, roses or other plants that require annual pruning. It will take the guesswork out of the different types of pruning. You can get free and low cost guides from the OSU Extension office in Astoria.
*Avoid pruning on wet, drizzly days. This encourages the spread of diseases.
* Keep your clippers sharp and use a disinfectant wipe or spray on them regularly as you move through the garden. A plant that is known to carry disease should be pruned last and your clippers disinfected with each cut to avoid spreading disease to other parts of the tree or shrub. Clean your clippers each time you finish using them and oil them to protect from rust.
* Go slow if you are not sure of yourself. A second pair of eyes is also helpful when shaping a plant. Visualize the plant without the branch in question before you take it off. If you make a mistake, don’t loose too much sleep over it; plants grow.
* Pruning sealers are no longer recommended since university studies have shown they seal in more disease than they keep out. The plant has it's own immune system that will take care of most problems without intervention. Be sure your pruning cuts are at slant so they will shed rain quickly. Horizontal cuts will retain water and be the perfect host for funguses and bugs.
* Pruning that requires a chain saw is not for everyone. Call an arborist if you are not comfortable with the size of the job.
* Do not burn or compost diseased branches as this encourages the spread of the pathogen to other trees or shrubs.
* Avoid pruning everything into A meatball form. Most upright shrubs look more attractive with a loose, vase shape. This form is also healthier for the plant as it will enjoy better light exposure and air circulation.
* Don't overlook the trunk of the tree. Many grafted trees like the weeping maples have fabulous trunks and look much better when you can see through the canopy to the twisted trunk and interesting bark. Go slow and have fun.
Happy Gardening!
Linda Brim

MOLE WARS

Like many gardens in the Clatsop County area, my lawn has risen at least 6” in elevation in the past few weeks. If yours has too; congratulations! We have been very good stewards of the soil and the moles appreciate it. They show their delight by harvesting the abundance of worms, grubs, weevils and slugs day and night. Garden soil rich in organic matter draws bugs that feed on such litter. Being carnivores, moles make their living by devouring these critters.

If we could just train the little guys to have some skill in heaving up soil piles, maybe we could have peace. Some symmetrical soil piles could become acceptable if we could just control the placement of such heaps. The northwest could become famous for our labyrinths of good soil and fascinating artistry of mole hills. Created by the lowly mole, we could put the boxwood mazes of Europe to shame. Well, maybe not in my lifetime…

In the meantime it is war! We gas, trap, lure, blast and bubble gum the poor little blind earth movers to preserve some sense of control over our spot of turf. The same turf we will soon spend hours each week mowing, feeding, watering and weeding.  In seeking perfection in the mole-infested lawn, I have become a believer in trapping. I caught my first granddaddy mole in about 45 minutes using a Cinch Trap. I placed one going north and one going south. The mole had no way out. Many long-time trappers prefer the Victor mole traps and have good luck with just the one trap in an active runway. That is the secret: finding an active runway.  Because one mole can devastate a small area, it is surprising when catching the offender stops the damage.

To find the active runway, simply rake out the soil so it is smooth. When new mounds appear, you know where to go to work. Use a small probe to find the runways. They will run in all directions so be sure to locate all tunnels and set the trap(s) to ensure success.

If you prefer not to trap, castor oil spray is also an effective treatment for moles. It comes in a hose-end spray bottle that you just hook up and apply to the lawn with water from the garden hose. It is safe for pets and wildlife and you won’t loose any fingers applying it. Because the castor oil masks the scent of the soil bugs moles are seeking, they go elsewhere for dinner. Your neighbors will never know. The treatment lasts awhile, but when the mounds reappear, it is time to retreat the area.