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November, 2016

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BRIGHTER CONCEPTS 252778001 UH OH... 7945 Harwood Ave. Wauwatosa, WI 53213 | www.MilestonePlumbingInc.com DRIP DRIP DRIP DRIP DRIP UH OH... CALL US WE CAN HELP! NO TRIP CHARGE FOR NEW CUSTOMERS! MUST MENTION THIS AD FAUCETS BATHTUBS SHOWERS TOILETS SINKS HOSE SYSTEMS WATER HEATERS WATER PIPING REPAIR AND MP#998631 252765002 BIBBS/SILLCOCKS DRAIN CLEANING SEWER CLEANING HOT WATER RECIRCULATION REPLACEMENT UNDERFLOOR DRAIN REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT AND MORE! 414.988.4565 "Quality Conscious, Customer Focused… Every Job, Every Day" kcustomcabs@gmail.com Brian Kehlnhofer, Owner | 262.352.2177 Visit us at www.kcustomcabs.com to see our CUSTOM work! 252273002 FOR ALL OF YOUR HOME NEEDS HOMES PLUS NOVEMBER 2016 6 When it comes to trimming shrubs I nor- mally get the same questions. When should I prune? Why or do I really need to prune? How do I prune? It can get confusing, so let's try to clear things up. Proper timing is important when it comes to pruning, especially if you don't want to lose flowering. Early-spring-bloom- ing shrubs such as lilac, forsythia, azalea, magnolia, juneberry and chokeberry should be pruned directly after flowering in spring. These shrubs bloom on old wood. If you prune them mid- or late summer or fall you are cutting the flower buds away for next spring. You have about a six-week window to prune after flowering. Those shrubs that flower in the summer, from new growth, like viburnum, spirea, wiegelia, honeysuckle, dogwood, smoke bush and ninebark, for example, can be trimmed from after flowering to mid- spring. Flower buds form on new spring growth. Evergreens and no-flowering shrubs can be pruned anytime. Just try to avoid prun- ing them when they are under stress, like during a drought. I continually shape mine throughout the year as needed. If you are pruning hedges like yews, alpine currant, privet and boxwood, spring is a good time to even them out and then again after they put on their growth for the year. Also, only hedge those plants that are meant to be hedged. You are simply injur- ing and stressing those shrubs that aren't meant to be pruned that way. Why do we prune? We prune for health and vigor, to control size and growth, to shape for aesthetic purposes, and to con- trol insects and disease. Some plants may not need a pruning either, like newly plant- ed shrubbery or slow-growing dwarf vari- eties. Sun hydrangeas, for example, only need their dead flowers removed after flow- ering. If they are getting too big, then you can prune. Also, always remove any wood that is either dead or diseased if needed; they just attract insects and other diseases. Now that we know when and why, let's look at how. For those plants that aren't hedges you want to prune a little every year. I like the rejuvenating approach myself. Take a look at the stems of your shrubs, count them and cut away one-third of the largest ones down to the ground, keeping shape in mind of course. After I do that, I simply shape as needed. Make prop- er cuts when doing this.You do this every year and within three years you complete- ly rejuvenate your shrub. Always cut a branch back to where it meets another one. Never just top or tip branches back; this simply causes stress. Also make clean cuts by using the right tools. Try to avoid rips and tears. A small pruner can handle up to three-quarters-of- an-inch-diameter branch; a lopper up to 1.5 inches, and bigger than that a sharp saw should be used. Leaving bad cuts just allows an opening for disease and insects to attack. Hedge plants are the only ones that aren't damaged severely by shearing as long as it s done properly. Make sure your tools are sharp so cuts are clean and never cut too far back. If you cut back to where there are no needles, more won't grow back. They benefit from multiple pruning throughout the year so you aren't remov- ing a lot at one time. By trimming your shrubs at the proper time and correctly, they will not only flower profusely, but will be happy and healthy as well. Happy gardening! (Michael Timm is a horticulturalist with Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia.) Timing, technique go a long way in trimming shrubs Using the right tools, timing and length of cut are keys in trimming shrubs. MICHAEL TIMM

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