CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. — Grab your coat and clippers and get into your backyard! Experts say winter is the perfect time to start pruning your plants.
Sarah Marcoglies with Native Earth Company, in partnership with the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado, met up with Denver7 to explain the importance of properly pruning trees, shrubs, and perennials during the winter.
According to Marcoglies, the warm weather can be tough on our trees, shrubs, and perennials. Thankfully, there are things that people can do to protect those plants for a beautiful garden to look forward to next spring.
Winter pruning is a good time to remove dead or damaged branches and improve the health of the garden while keeping your property safe.
Avoid pruning when temperatures drop below 20 degrees and avoid pruning too early in the winter when incisions can dry out. Marcoglies said you want to remove dead, diseased, or damaged branches. You can tell branches need to be removed if they are supple or if they easily break when pulling on the branches.
Marcoglies said winter is prime time to get back into your yards and thin branches because you can see the structure better when the leaves are gone. Marcoglies also recommended removing any branches with signs of disease, like cankers, and composting them.
You should cut branches at the node, where one branch attaches to another. Make your pruning cuts just beyond the branch collar, leaving no stubs.
If you're still debating whether to prune your plants in the winter, Marcoglies said these winter months help the trees heal during dormancy, making them less susceptible to disease and insects. She also said pruning in the winter will reduce the risk of branches breaking off and causing more damage during storms.
Marcoglies said folks should apply dormant oil to protect their trees from pests and spring infestations. She also recommended an anti-desiccant on evergreens and broad-leaf evergreens that will lose moisture from wind, heat, and cold in the winter months.
- Watch the video below to see what you should consider doing for your trees, shrubs and perennials this time of year.