Charlie Nardozzi, Senior Horticulturist
National Gardening Association, and
Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont

Proper cutting of roses, pruning strawberry runners, and washing produce are some of the gardening tips for this month.

Any fertilizer you’ve applied to annuals in containers has probably washed out of the soil in rain, so give them another dose. Clip off spent blooms and cut some stems way back to encourage lots of new growth. Do this every couple of weeks.

If you come home to a dried-out container planting, don’t despair. Some plants will wilt dramatically, but come back once moistened. If the water you add from the top pours right through, place the entire container in a saucer or tray of water and let the water soak into the soil from below. If it’s still hot and sunny out, place the plant in a shady, cool spot for a few days. Remove damaged foliage and see if it develops new growth.

Just like spring-flowering bulbs, lilies need their foliage to make food for next year’s flowers. Unlike spring bulbs, the flowers bloom on the same stems as the leaves. So when you cut lily flowers, don’t cut long stems and remove too many leaves.

Cut the shortest stems possible when cutting rose flowers because the more foliage you leave on the plant, the better for photosynthesis, and the faster it will rebloom. Experts now recommend cutting above a 3-leaflet leaf instead of lower down the stem at a 5-leaflet leaf.

Avoid pruning other woody plants after early July, as this will just stimulate new growth that may not harden properly before winter. Spring is the best time to prune most fruit trees and woody ornamental trees and shrubs. Likewise, avoid fertilizing these plants after early July.

Strawberry plants are in very active growth these days, and new runners will proliferate. Remove runners to keep plants spaced according to the method you’re using so plants will put their energy into producing future fruit instead of new runners. Left alone, a bed will turn into a mass of foliage and few berries.

Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, and other fresh, very perishable fruit should be kept refrigerated and not washed until serving time. Green vegetables, however, such as broccoli, peas, and beans, as well as beets and carrots, should be washed before storing in the refrigerator.

If you haven’t thinned beets and carrots yet, it’s time. Even if you’ve thinned once, take another look because these crops need space for their roots to fill out. If you have the space, sow seed for later crops, covering at least the carrot seed with fine-textured soil. Don’t let the soil dry out.

To help your tomato plants direct all their energy into growing the fruit that’s already set, prune off some of the vines that contain flowers but no young fruit. Pinch off suckers growing from where the branches connect to the main stem (the leaf axils). Keep moisture levels even to prevent blossom end rot. Renew mulch if necessary.

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Good pruning is an art, but it takes a good understanding of the science behind it to make it efficient, says Dave Williams, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System horticulturist.

“If you remember the difference between two basic types of pruning cuts, you will not need to prune as often,” Williams says. “You will also have better-looking landscapes.”

The two types of cuts are heading and thinning.

Heading cuts are made anywhere along the length of the branch.

“These cuts promote increased shoot growth because several buds below the point of the cut will be encouraged to develop into shoots,” Williams says. “When you shear a hedge, you are making heading cuts. You can expect to prune again several times during the growing season.”

Each heading cut allows between two and four shoots to grow in place of the one shoot that has been removed.

Thinning cuts, on the other hand, reduce plant size without encouraging a lot of new growth.

“Thinning involves the removal of a branch at a point where it arises from another branch,” Williams says. “The result is continued growth of the single branch, instead of three or four shoots replacing the one removed.”

Thinning cuts maintain a plant’s natural form and reduce its size.

“It requires a little more time and effort when you prune the first time, but it usually means a lot less pruning during the season,” Williams says.

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When you are planting and pruning in your garden this spring, don’t forget to do a little maintenance to your pecan trees.Dr. Bill Goff, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System horticulturist, says you can take four steps this spring to improve pecan production this fall.

“The first step is to fertilize properly, preferably according to soil and leaf sample

recommendations,” Goff says.

If you have not taken samples, Goff recommends the following: One pound of 13-13-13 per tree per year of age up to 25 pounds per tree, or 300 pounds an acre. Plus, 1 pound of ammonium nitrate per tree per year of age up to 20 pounds per tree, or 240 pounds an acre. Plus, one-tenth of a pound of zinc sulfate per tree per year of age up to 2 pounds per tree, or 24 pounds an acre. Plus, 5 pounds of dolomitic lime per tree per year of age up to 100 pounds per tree, or 1,200 pounds per acre.

“Apply all fertilizers in April on large trees,” Goff says. “For young trees, fertilize in March with 13-13-13, lime and zinc. Apply one-half ammonium nitrate in April and half in June. Broad-cast fertilizer on the surface in a circle twice the branch spread of the tree.”

When the crop is large, Goff says to apply a supplemental application in August, using

one-half the rates above, but omitting the lime.

The second step is to choose established pest-resistant cultivars, he says. Goff recommends Elliott, or new cultivars like McMillan, Syrup Mill, Carter, Jenkins and Gafford.

The third step, Goff says, is to make sure the trees have enough room for good sunlight exposure.

“You may have to cut down some trees if limbs overlap adjacent trees,” he says.

Finally, remember to water the trees when the weather is dry, especially in late August and early September.

“And, maintain a 4- to 6-inch layer of organic mulch, like bark chips, compost or leaf

litter, to conserve moisture, improve root growth and reduce compaction,” Goff says.

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