On Gardening/Spring Garden Challenge

5-12-97
University Park, Pa. -- Now that warmer weather is here and many have begun early season gardening jobs, it's time to keep in mind that some of the chores generally done later in the season should be attended to now. If we wait until the calendar says it is time, it may be too late.

WINTER CLEAN-UP
This past week, I was out in the garden doing some clean-up pruning to remove winter damaged wood from a variety of plants. At this time it is easy to spot those portions that have not leafed out while the developing leaf cover is not so dense that it hides dead wood. I like to do this type of pruning now because it is so easy to see into the plant.

When removing dead wood, make certain to either cut back to live wood or another growing point. If you simply cut out the dead parts you may not have a bud or growing point at the end of the stem and the branch will continue to die back from that point. Also consider the quality of what you leave in the plant. It may be better to completely remove winter injured wood all the way to the ground and allow new sprouts to fill in from the soil line.

PRUNE RHODODENDRONS
Now is the time to begin some light corrective pruning on rhododendrons. In fact, these plants can be pruned without even using your pruning shears. By removing the vegetative terminal bud you can encourage additional branching. This bud is the small pointed one at the very end of the stem. It generally has several smaller buds located around its base.

Snap this bud from the stem with your thumb and forefinger. If this bud is allowed to remain, it would probably grow and elongate into a stem similar to the one it was attached to this spring. With the terminal bud removed, those lateral buds that remain will grow outward and create a fuller leaf cover.

One word of caution, however, do not remove the large, plump, and very visible buds at the ends of the stems. These are the flower buds that you have been waiting for all winter. Once the flowers have opened and faded, then you should go back to the plant and remove the seed heads before they develop. This will assure a better crop of flowers for next year.

THIN JUNIPERS
Both the large shrub and creeping ground cover forms can be pruned now and the new growth will quickly cover any cuts. I strongly suggest, however, that you prune these plants rather than shear them. Shearing produces a dense outer layer of foliage that shades the inner wood and results in dieback.

You can safely cut out branches as large as an inch or more in diameter from the center of these plants with little harm. On the ground covers, I pick up the longest stems that trail on the ground, follow them back into the center of the plant and cut at the point where another branch is growing in the direction I want to plant to follow.

WEEDS ARE ALREADY OUT
The warm weather has also forced most of the winter annuals like chickweed into full growth. Mustard is also just about to flower and quackgrass is up and growing. Remember that most of these weeds should be pulled now to prevent seed set and further spread this summer.Quackgrass pulls rather easily now while the soil is moist. If you pull slowly and work your finger into the soil around the base of the plant you are more likely to get more of the root system. Pulling will not eliminate or control quackgrass, but I find this keeps it in check for awhile.

**Dr. Nuss is a horticulturist at Penn State. He coordinates all extension horticulture programs. He has bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in ornamental horticulture and has been on the Penn State faculty since 1966.