Peach, plum, prune, nectarine, apricot, pluot, cherry and almond (all of the genus Prunus) defoliate earlier than other fruit trees and can be pruned prior to the defoliation of apple and pear. Cane berries, grapes, wisteria and roses will also need to be pruned and should be considered when scheduling pruning. Roses are typically the last to be pruned and can be completed as new buds begin to swell in late winter.

It is very important to complete winter pruning in a timely manner because the best time of the year to perform this procedure immediately precedes the worst time of year. As vascular activity resumes in very early spring, trees become very sensitive to what may be perceived as damage. Some species may actually bleed from late pruning wounds. After bloom and emergence of the earliest foliage, sensitivity to minor pruning diminishes.

However, the many "fruitless" or "flowering" cultivars of the same fruit trees that require winter pruning behave very differently. Because they do not produce heavy fruit, pruning is not nearly as important, and may not be necessary at all. In fact, most require only minor pruning to enhance form. Because such minor quantities are removed by such pruning, the unwanted stems may remain through winter to be cut and brought into the home while blooming in spring. Minor pruning of such trees may otherwise be performed during any season.

Winter is also bare-root season. Although bare-root stock is only beginning to become available, accommodations may be arranged in advance. After deciding where new specimens will be located, holes can be dug and amendments can be incorporated into back-fill soil. It is certainly less work to get ready now than to dig holes during rain and mix amendments into mud. Weather will likely be conducive to gardening when bare-root stock arrives, but one never knows.


Tree of the Week: Sweet Bay

Sweet bay has been popular in gardens at least since the Victorian period, when it was often sheared into various symmetrical shapes and hedges. It continues to be popular because of its suitability to container culture and its compact growth. Mature trees may be as tall as 30 feet but are typically shorter than 15 feet. Without pruning, the sweet bay is densely foliated from top to bottom. Lower growth may be removed from shrubby specimens to reveal small evergreen trees with multiple trunks. Unless removed, some of the profuse suckers will develop into additional trunks.

Specimens acquired from nurseries are typically grown as "standards" with a single, straight trunk. The seemingly tough, aromatic leaves are somewhat oval and approximately 3 inches long. Small yellow flowers and subsequent inch-wide black berries should not be significant but may be profuse and messy among stressed trees.

Soil of inferior quality is easily tolerated if it is not often saturated. Only minimal irrigation is necessary after dispersion of roots. Full sun exposure is preferred, but foliage may be scorched by reflected glare or during very warm weather. Significant shade is easily tolerated. Stems are surprisingly sensitive to sun scald and may require protection if not partially shaded by the foliar canopy. Pruning should therefore never be so severe that formerly shaded interior stems instantly become exposed to direct midday sunlight.

Because the main trunks of sweet bays grown as standards are dangerously exposed, the "nursery stake" may be reattached loosely to the south side of the trunk. (Properly staked trees are loosely tied to support stakes that are a few inches away from the main trunk. "Nursery stakes" that are attached to specimens found in nurseries have been used to train the straight trunk but may retard caliper growth if tied firmly to the trunk and should therefore be removed.)

Horticulturist Tony Tomeo can be contacted at 408-358-2574 or at LGHORTICULTURE@aol.com.