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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Gardening: It’s a good time to prune trees, shrubs

These pony packs of hardy vegetables are waiting to be planted when the weather warms some more. Frost resistant as they are, if temperatures go into the low 20s at night, they will still need the protection of a tarp or floating row cover to protect them. (Pat Munts / The Spokesman-Review)

As I write this on a Sunday evening, the Weather Underground long-range forecast is saying our cold weather will have one last hurrah this weekend. Temperatures will be in the low 20s and high teens Saturday and Sunday mornings. So, if you have ideas of doing some transplanting over the weekend, find another garden job.

I brought back several ponies of lettuce, spinach and cilantro from my recent adventure to Seattle and hauled them into the garden until I had time to plant them. With the coming cold weather, I laid several layers of floating row cover over them to hold in the ground heat. All these varieties are frost tolerant but not down to 19 F.

So what can you do if you’re feeling like you just have to get out and play in the dirt? It’s a great time to prune trees and shrubs. If learning how to prune apple trees is on your list, there is still time to register for the Spokane Edible Tree Project’s annual class taught by Spirit Pruners at the Resurrection Episcopal Church’s heritage orchard. The class is Saturday starting at 9 a.m. Cost is $20, and you need to bring sharp pruning tools if you have them. Dress for the weather.

For other shrubs you need to do a little research on when the best time is to prune. Some shrubs like forsythia, lilac, rhododendron and blue hydrangea bloom on wood that grew last summer. If you prune them now, you will essentially cut off all the flower buds before they even have a chance to open. Forsythia, lilac and rhododendron can be pruned right after they finish blooming. Hydrangea can be pruned after they bloom.

Spirea can be thinned by cutting out two or three of the oldest stems without reducing the June flowers. Oregon grape can be pruned now or wait until after it flowers. If you wait, the bees will be able to gather the pollen and nectar for their larvae. It will look a little scruffy after pruning, but it will quickly regrow and fill back in over the summer.

Peony stalks should be cut to the ground and winter debris removed from the crown of the plant. When the plant is ready to emerge, it will send up red stems that will fill out by late April.

Junipers can be cut back now especially if they are encroaching on other plants. For junipers with spreading branches that hug the ground, follow a branch back to the point you want to cut it and then cut underneath a branchlet coming out of the top of the branch. If done properly, you will never know the plant was pruned. Upright junipers are a little harder to prune, especially, if they have already been pruned into square blocks or round balls. They can be sheared but if you go into the underlying dead branches, they will not regrow, and you will have a bare spot.